COOS BAY - In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, a state mandate is requiring all counties to have an emergency plan in place to help those with special needs.

On Thursday, various entities in Coos County came together to discuss that plan.

Sponsored by the Oregon Department of Human Services, area representatives from disability and aging services as well as Coos County emergency members participated in a workshop on the Southwestern campus, all to discuss ways on how to best serve those who may need more assistance than most during a disaster.

Some of the topics addressed included how to respond and plan for certain emergencies, transportation and shelter needs.

"We have to know how the system is going to work," says Bill Riley of Oregon Department of Human Services. "We have to know where we are going to hear what we should do next. We need to prepare ourselves, our families, our businesses and our programs, where vulnerable populations are."

Along with preparing well ahead of time, one of the big messages was how it's a community effort to get involved and work together in times of crisis.

"Our program is manned by one person and that is me," says Coos County Emergency Program Manager Glenda Hales. "My need is for them to step up and start doing some of the planning. I'm happy to help but I can't do the whole program with limited resources."

Hales is looking for community members to be a part of the planning process and can be reached at (541) 756-8213.

She says, the county does need to have a draft of that plan by September 30 for the state to review.