Persons with access or functional needs may have difficulty evacuating a building without assistance. Individuals who are mobility challenged and unable to exit the building should proceed to an Area of Assistance to await aid from emergency response personnel. The following procedures are acceptable alternatives for employees, students, and visitors with special needs:
Evacuation Assistant
An Evacuation Assistant is a volunteer, co-worker, classmate, or friend who can assist persons with access or functional needs during an emergency. Evacuation Assistants provide instruction during an evacuation, help individuals with access or functional needs to relocate to an Area of Assistance, notify first responders or emergency personnel of those persons that are unable to evacuate a building, and provide support as necessary to ensure a safe evacuation.
Evacuation Assistants are not responsible for physically evacuating an individual from a building. Carrying a person down a set of stairs or out of a building should only be done by trained emergency response personnel.
Horizontal Evacuation
Individuals with access or functional needs should use horizontal evacuation routes (a route on the floor they are occupying leads to the exterior of the building without using stairs or the elevator) or they should relocate to an Area of Assistance.
Individuals using this method of evacuation and their Evacuation Assistants, if identified, are encouraged to know the Areas of Assistance for their work area and go to these locations during an evacuation when possible. The Evacuation Assistant should then self-evacuate and immediately relay the location of the mobility challenged person(s) to emergency response personnel. Persons occupying an Area of Assistance should call 911 and provide their exact location to the dispatcher.
Hearing Impaired
An Evacuation Assistant(s) should be designated or selected to immediately alert a person with a hearing impairment of any alarm or order to evacuate.
Visually Impaired
Individuals with visual impairment should be familiar with their immediate surroundings, frequently traveled routes, and emergency evacuation routes. However, since an evacuation route may be different from a commonly traveled route, a visually impaired person may need assistance. Evacuation Assistant(s) should be identified and provide assistance as necessary during an evacuation.
Employees needing assistance during an emergency are encouraged to contact Human Resources to make the appropriate arrangements in developing an emergency evacuation plan.
Students with disabilities should become familiar with their surroundings as soon as they visit a campus or new building. They are encouraged to identify Areas of Assistance and develop a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP). This PEEP should be shared with close friends and family, as well as with their instructors.