|
Fire- and Life-Safety Group (FLS)
Emergency Evacuation Guidelines for People with
Disabilities
Preparing for an Emergency Evacuation
Preparing for an emergency evacuation can greatly reduce the risk to
your safety during a fire, flood, storm, or other dangerous situation.
In order to help people with disabilities prepare for an emergency evacuation,
FLS has organized the following recommendations based on NFPA's Emergency
Planning Guide for People with Disabilities. Disabilities may
include any of the following: mobility impairments, visual impairments,
hearing impairments, speech impairments, or cognitive impairments. These
disabilities may be permanent or temporary, i.e., a broken leg. FLS strongly
encourages those with any disability to read through these guidelines
to ensure that you are prepared for an emergency evacuation. If you need
further assistance in preparing for an evacuation, please contact the
Fire- and Life-Safety Group at 303-492-4042.
Guidelines
1. If there is an alarm system where
you work or take classes,
familiarize
yourself with the alarms. Determine if there is an alarm
that will
alert you to an emergency, e.g., whether strobes exist to
notify
hearing impaired persons to evacuate, and whether the
alarm audibility
is adequate for others. [1]
2. Familiarize yourself with the
buildings' exit routes. Become
aware of
the buildings' stairwells and corridors noting any areas
that may
be difficult or impossible for you to traverse by yourself.
Determine
whether there is an exit path that you will be able to use
in case of
an emergency. If possible, identify at least two separate
escape paths.
Please note: In most cases, this means being
able to exit
the building without the use of an elevator. [1]
3. If you do not need assistance
evacuating or being alerted to an
alarm, you
should run through a practice evacuation to verify you
will not
need assistance and to uncover any weaknesses in your
plan. [1]
4. If you will need assistance in
evacuating the building for any
reason, follow
preparation steps 5-11, below. [1]
5. Contact a group of friends or
co-workers who would be able to
assist you
in an evacuation or notify emergency responders to
assist you.
This group should meet the following guidelines.
A. For employees, the
group should be in the same
building in which you work. For students, the group
should be in your class.
B. The group should be selected
so that it is not likely that
they will all be away to an off-site meeting, sick, or on
vacation at the same time. [1]
C. The group should consist
of the number of people
required to successfully evacuate you plus at least two
alternates. This is to account for those friends/coworkers
that may be offsite. [1]
D. You should be sure that
the person(s) helping you are
physically able to do the required tasks and that you trust
them. [1]
6. Tell the group of friends or
co-workers what kind of assistance
you will
need. Make sure that they are comfortable with your
requests.
7. Coworkers/friends should not
risk their own life/safety when
assisting
you. If your coworkers/friends are unable to assist you
without risking
their life/safety, urge them to exit the building
immediately
and notify authorities of your location. If possible,
before
exiting, your coworkers/friends should assist you to a
sheltered
location, possibly in a fully enclosed exit stair.
8. Designate a place where you will
meet those who will be
assisting you
with your evacuation. [1] For employees, a good
location
may be your office or workspace or a space next to a
stairwell
in which you will not block other evacuees. For students,
a good
location will probably be near the door to your classroom.
9. Determine a method to contact
those who will be assisting you. [1]
A. For employees, FLS
recommends a dry erase board
be placed by your designated meeting area. The text on
the board should state whether you are on- or off-site. If
you are on-site, your coworkers will know that they may
need to assist you. If you are off-site, they will know you do
not need assistance.
B. For students, your assistants/friends
should attend
the same class, so face to face contact can be used with
cell phones as a backup to call 9-1-1.
10. Keep the necessary evacuation equipment
such as a
stair-descent
chair nearby. [1]
11. Regularly review and practice your evacuation
plan. Practice
solidifies
everyone's grasp of the plan, assists others in
recognizing
the person who may need assistance in an
emergency,
and brings to light any weaknesses in the plan. [1]
12. Update your plan to reflect changes in exit
routes or contact
methods,
e.g., friends/co-workers that will assist you. [1]
Evacuation
1. Go to your designated
meeting spot. [2]
2. When both you and
your friends/coworkers arrive, evacuate via
the shortest
and safest route. [2]
3. Check paths for safety
before proceeding and close doors
behind
you. [2]
4. Have a member of your group test
doors with the back of the
hand before opening them. If the door is warm or if someone
notices
smoke, use an alternative escape route. [2]
5. If possible, crawl low if you
have to go through smoke. [2]
6. After safely exiting, go to a
safe area or to a pre-assigned exterior
area for
your building. [2]
7. If you suspect that someone is
missing or trapped, contact the
emergency
personnel outside the building. [2]
8. If you are trapped or unable
to evacuate during a fire emergency,
close all
doors between you and the fire. Stuff cracks around the
doors to
keep out smoke. Wait at a safe window and signal/call for
help.
If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department or
9-1-1
and tell them exactly where you are. [2]
9. If your clothing catches fire,
stop, drop, and roll to help extinguish
your
clothing fire. If you have physical limitations, a friend may be
able
to help you smother the flames, e.g., cover the flames with a
heavy
material like a coat or blanket.
NOTE: Links to NFPA's Emergency Planning Guide for
People with Disabilities and U.S. Department of Education Emergency
Evacuation of People with Physical Disabilites 2004 Conference Proceedings
are listed below.
NFPA's
Emergency Planning Guide for People with Disabilities
U.S. Department
of Education Emergency Evacuation of People with Physical Disabilities
2004 Conference Proceedings
Sources for Guidelines
1. NFPA's Emergency Planning Guide for
People with Disabilities
2. Guidlines that are posted on our website
for people without
disabilities.
|
