Include contact update in hurricane plans

St Augustine and St Johns County residents are bracing for the 2013 hurricane season by creating their disaster preparedness plans — the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles encourages Historic City News readers to update their emergency contact information as part of those plans.

The recent disasters in Oklahoma highlighted the need for law enforcement to have access to emergency contact information so that first responders know who to notify if you are in an emergency situation.

“Registering your emergency contact information can provide families and loved ones with added peace of mind,” said Executive Director Julie L. Jones. “We are pleased that more than 7 million Floridians have registered their contacts — but that leaves nearly 10 million whose contact information is not available to police.”

Emergency contact information can be registered, without charge, in person at the offices of St Johns County tax collector Dennis Hollingsworth, or other driver license offices in the state, or, online at https://services.flhsmv.gov/eci/

Floridians who hold a current driver license or identification card can enter up to two contacts into the ECI database. Even if you have registered your information previously, it is a good idea to update your contacts periodically, especially if you or your contacts have moved.

“The Florida Highway Patrol has run into situations where a person involved in a crash had registered their emergency contact information but failed to update it,” said FHP Director Col. David Brierton. “Outdated information can significantly delay our efforts to provide quick notification to families and loved ones.”

It takes only a few minutes, and there is no fee to register.

The information you register is only available to law enforcement officers in the event of an emergency.