Evacuation of People with Disabilities

The person with a physical disability on campus may be a student, faculty member, staff employee, or a visitor. Everyone should be familiar with procedures to assist the disabled in an emergency.

DO NOT USE ELEVATORS!

  • Sight impaired persons should develop a buddy system, or a volunteer should be assigned to assist the individual during the evacuation.
  • Alert the hearing impaired to an emergency exit and initiate their evacuation.
  • If not on a ground level floor, there are two schools of thought concerning mobility impaired persons. Rescue of mobility impaired or disabled persons will be the first priority of fire and law enforcement departments.
    • The mobility impaired or disabled person should go to an emergency exit and wait while the main flow of people pass. They should remain at the same exit until emergency personnel (fire or police) can arrive and safely complete their evacuation.
    • Assisting mobility impaired/disabled person in an emergency.
      • Be prepared to abandon wheelchair or other devices used for mobility.
      • Ask the person the safest method people can use to assist them. Seek out volunteers and make sure you have enough people to provide assistance.
      • Once the person(s) with physical disabilities has been evacuated, proceed to clear area away from the affected building and make them as comfortable as possible.
      • Faculty and staff are to assist the physically disabled in evacuating the building by whatever method is most appropriate and safe for the given circumstance.

For emergencies dial (911) or (4357) on any campus phone.