OSKALOOSA – The Mahaska County E911 Center is officially implementing a Special Needs Registry.

In a post to social media, Mahaska County 911 Communications said that law enforcement has been called several times over the last year due to a community member locating a lost child. When the children are non-verbal, it makes it difficult to locate their loved ones quickly. The Special Needs Registry aims to improve timely identification and safe recovery of individuals who wander or elope.

The Mahaska County Special Needs Registry is voluntary. Information collected is confidential and is entered into a secure database that is only accessible by the Mahaska County E911 Communications Center, which provides critical information to law enforcement, firefighters, and medics during emergencies.

The registry is said to assist Mahaska County first responders during critical incidents; the information provided will only be shared with the unit(s) handling that emergency situation. 

Those who wish to register their loved one in the Mahaska County Special Needs Registry should call the Mahaska County E911 Communications Center at 641-673-0347 or email dispatch@mahaskacountyia.gov.