This section provides a general guideline of evacuation procedures
for persons with disabilities during fire and other building
emergencies. Individuals with disabilities must identify their
primary and secondary evacuation routes, and seek out colleagues
who are willing to serve as evacuation assistants. Other faculty
and staff members can help by being aware of others who may
need assistance in an evacuation.
MOBILITY-IMPAIRED - WHEELCHAIR
In most buildings, people will need to use stairwells
to reach building exits. Elevators cannot be used because they
have been shown to be unsafe in an emergency.
Persons in wheelchairs located on the first floor,
may use building exits to the outside ground level. For disabled
individuals on upper floors, it is not safe to attempt to move
a wheelchair down the stairs. One effective approach to the situation
is the following:
STAY IN PLACE
Working with an evacuation assistant,
select a room with an exterior window, a telephone and a solid or
fire-resistant door. Remain with the disabled person in this room,
and send someone to the evacuation assembly area to notify emergency
personnel of the location of the person needing assistance. It is
also possible to place the person needing assistance near a stairway
landing to await assistance, although this area may not be protected
from smoke and other hazards.
Fire Department personnel, who are trained in emergency rescue, can then
enter the building and assist the person in exiting the building,
either down the stairs or using the emergency elevator recall.
While staying in place, the wheelchair user should keep in direct contact
with emergency services by calling 911 or 322-2745 and reporting
his/her location directly.
Stairway evacuation of wheelchair users should be conducted by trained
professionals from emergency services. Only in situations of extreme
danger should untrained people attempt to evacuate wheelchair users.
If this must be attempted, one possibility is the following.
2 PERSON CRADLE
- Wait until other evacuees have moved down the
stairwell.
- The two helpers stand on either side of the individual.
- They reach under the individual and lift them
out in a cradle.
- Helpers control the descent by walking slowly
and cautiously.
- NEVER leave a wheelchair in a stair well.
Or another technique is:
OFFICE CHAIR EVACUATION
- Transfer the challenged individual to a sturdy
office chair.
- One helper gently leans the chair backwards.
- The other helper faces the chair and holds onto
the front legs of the chair. Both helpers will lift the chair
simultaneously, lifting with their legs not their backs.
- The helpers control the descent by bending their
legs and keeping their back straight.
MOBILITY IMPAIRED- NON-WHEELCHAIR
Persons with mobility impairments who are able to
walk independently should be able to negotiate stairs in an emergency
with minor assistance. The individual should wait until the heavy
traffic has cleared on the stairwell before attempting to exit. There
should be at least one evacuation assistant with the challenged individual
to assist if needed.
HEARING IMPAIRED
Some buildings on campus are equipped with fire strobe
lights; however, some are not. Persons with hearing impairments may
not hear audio alarms and will need to be alerted to emergency situations
by an evacuation assistant.
VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Most people with visual impairments will be familiar
with their immediate surroundings and frequently traveled routes.
Since the emergency evacuation route may be different from the commonly
traveled route, persons who are visually impaired may need assistance
in evacuation. The evacuation assistant should offer his/her elbow
to the individual with the visual impairment and guide him/her through
the evacuation route. During the evacuation, the evacuation assistant
should communicate as necessary to ensure safe evacuation.
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