Wednesday, September 10, 2008 By JOHN APPLETON jappleton@repub.com
BELCHERTOWN - The School Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to purchase three pieces of equipment designed to move students with physical disabilities out of the school building during an emergency, such as a fire.
School Superintendent Richard A. Pazasis said he has been wrestling with what to do about handicapped students at Belchertown High School and Jabish Brook Middle School, both of which have second floors.
"I have finally found a solution, the Evacu-Trac," Pazasis told the School Committee.
The committee voted unanimously to buy three of these specially designed evacuation chairs for a total of $7,650, which includes shipping.
Pazasis said he had considered buying more than three but considered the budget limitations and decided that three would be good for now.
The money for the purchase can come from the School Department's School Choice account.
Pazasis said there is a need for this type of chair because electrically powered elevators do not work in case of fire and wheel chairs cannot safely be used on stairs in emergencies.
Belchertown High School and Jabish Brook Middle School are the only schools in the system higher than one story.
The plan is to put one of the chairs at Jabish Brook and two at the high school.
"This will really help solve the problem," Pazasis said. "This is the only solution I could find."
Training will be provided along with the purchase.
Pazasis said that school personnel and firefighters will be trained in the use of the new equipment.
The passenger in an Evacu-Trac sits in a sling seat and is secured by three Velcro straps.
The chair may be wheeled along flat surfaces and a track, connected to a hand-brake, is used when descending stairs.
A compact storage cabinet will be supplied with each chair. They are described by the manufacturer, as being able to be set up in just a few seconds. They are designed for an easy transfer of someone from a wheelchair.
A DISABLED man has labelled as dangerous procedures to evacuate handicapped and elderly people from the bunker post office in case of a fire.
John Ruddick has to walk with a crutch after he broke his left leg and arms in a motorbike accident in February 2005.
He fears emergency measures that have been put in place are not suitable for someone of his size. He is 6ft 6 and 22st.
The post office in the basement of WHSmith in Wolsey Place, Woking, is accessible to people who are disabled and the elderly by a lift. But the lift would be out of bounds in case of a fire.
In an emergency, staff would be expected to identify people in the store who might need assistance before taking them to a refuge point.
They would then wait in the designated area behind fire doors, before being taken upstairs one-by-one in an ‘evac-chair’ that can go up the stairs under its own power.
Mr Ruddick said: “I don’t think the chair would be designed for my weight. I wouldn’t feel comfortable and wouldn’t want to endanger staff members or the public.
“I would try to make my own way up the stairs.
“It would be dangerous and if it was crowded there could be lives lost.”
Environmental health officers from Woking Borough Council carried out a full inspection of the store and found it to be safe, however.
A letter accompanying their report said the post office already had a number of control measures to ensure it was safe for both staff and customers.
It said: “I was pleased that you had met with the Woking Fire Service before opening this area to ensure all possible precautions, for example, fire extinguishers, evac-chairs, refuge areas, safety shutter, evacuation policy, staff training etc, were in place.”
Mr Ruddick said he did not like where the post office had been relocated to and that other dangers could include the stairs being slippery when it had been raining.
He said: “When the post office was in Market Square it was perfect. It was bigger and more easily accessible.
“I don’t like the post office as it is. I only use it two or three times a month.
“The ideal solution would be to put the post office near to the front entrance of WHSmith on the ground floor.”
A spokesman for WHSmith said: “The store has an evacuation plan that is regularly tested, as do all our stores and staff are trained on this. This is further checked through regular audits by our loss prevention team and our qualified health and safety inspectors.
“There are three different escape routes from the basement in the event of a fire — up the customer staircase or out one of the two separate internal fire escape routes on separate sides of the Post Office floor that lead out onto the street.
“All fire precautions, plans, training, signage, equipment, drill records etc were extensively tested by the fire officer and approved at the point the post office was opened.
“They undertook a full audit inspection on our premises. There are three evacuation chairs on site so that anyone in a wheelchair can be safely evacuated from the basement.
Recent blaze at high-rise indicates challenges faced during evacuation
By ALLAN TURNER Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Aug. 24, 2008, 11:24PM
From her 25th floor apartment in the Greenway Condominiums, Pam Singer had a killer view. Downtown's spires, the Galleria, Allen Parkway and the meandering bayou — all formed the backdrop for the life the retired clothing boutique owner serenely shared with her golden retriever, Louie.
Singer's serenity recently was shattered, though, when a fire alarm sounded on the building's upper floors, warning residents to get ready to evacuate. For frantic minutes, the partially paralyzed Singer, who relies on a motorized wheelchair, wondered if she would die.
"I grabbed my dog and went into the hallway and yelled, 'Help!' " she recalled. Within minutes, her plea was answered by her neighbor, TC LeNormand, who carried her down the stairs to the lobby.
"He just picked me up and took me," the 49-year-old Singer said. "I was so afraid he was going to hurt himself."
Singer's story had a happy ending.
The fire, confined to a clothes dryer, was extinguished before firefighters arrived. And the City Council honored LeNormand, 52, a hypnotherapist, for his actions.
For advocates for the disabled, however, the recent Greenway fire underscored the challenges emergencies pose to disabled residents of high-rise buildings.
"I'm very concerned about this issue," said Michelle Colvard, director of the mayor's office for people with disabilities. "It's important to raise people's awareness. They need to think about what they would do to evacuate way ahead of time. They should practice with friends and family."
Additionally, suggested Allan Fraser, a senior building codes specialist with the National Fire Prevention Association, potential evacuees should compile lists of their physicians and medical prescriptions for use by emergency personnel.
Francisco Arriola, a city fire inspector specializing in high-rise buildings, said his office urges disabled residents to contact their building's manager to register their location and detail their special needs for assistance.
In its fire safety plan for high-rise buildings, the Houston fire marshal's office advises that mobility impaired people await evacuation near fire exits or stairwells. If a clear threat to their well-being exists, they should wait on landings inside the stairwells. If a threat exists in the stairwells, the disabled should be carried to safety.
City codes require stairwells to be constructed of fire-resistant materials and, since 1981, to be pressurized to exclude smoke.
Lex Frieden, a health information services professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center and senior vice president of Memorial Hermann/TIRR, said the Houston fire marshal's office generally responds well to the needs of the mobility impaired.
But, he added, unless the disabled educate themselves about evacuation procedures, they could "find themselves in a situation where they have to roll themselves down the steps."
Frieden, who is himself mobility impaired, says he routinely advises hotel management of his special needs during his travels. "The day I check in," he said, "I always evaluate the facility and determine how I'm going to get out of my room."
Last week, Singer, who was unhurt in the recent incident, joined other residents of her condo in a meeting with building management to fine-tune responses to potentially life-threatening emergencies.
Singer, who had lived in her apartment for less than a year, said she had registered her location with her condo manager. But she said she had little concern about how she would get to safety in the event of an emergency. She had not viewed a videotape dealing with evacuation procedures that was provided by the building's managers.
Singer, paralyzed by illness, said she became "a little frightened" as LeNormand carried her down the stairwell.
LeNormand perceived little drama in the rescue.
"There was a fire alarm, and I was evacuating, and I found a woman yelling for help," he recalled. "I carried her down. That's the long and short of it."
RECENTLY, Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo commented about making sensitivity “part of our culture, part of our value system in Singapore” at an event involving the disabled community.
I could not agree with him more.
The key is to act and do something positive, either to give a helping hand to a disabled person or to develop a more stable and elaborate national system to ensure a good level of accessibility for all.
There are two areas that need urgent attention: Emergency evacuations and accessibility.
In June, the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) conducted an emergency drill at the SPD Ability Centre, a purpose-built facility with ramps running from the roof to the first floor. Despite having over 100 wheelchair users, the drill went smoothly.
A week later, a flash fire at a power station forced occupants to evacuate from a major commercial building.
Not long ago, the collapse of a joining road also triggered the evacuation of a new commercial centre and, further back, a major earthquake in Indonesia shocked our island so much that even a new building in Shenton Way was evacuated.
It is easy to put in place preventive and quick measures (water sprinklers and fire hydrants), but the reality is that buildings will need to be evacuated in times of emergency.
Thus, the “sensitivity” is how to evacuate the elderly and people with disabilities.
This concern goes beyond commercial buildings to include hospitals (especially those with multiple floors), residential/community health facilities and even HDB flats.
Though much effort has been made for lifts to land on every floor to ensure better accessibility for disabled people and the elderly, what happens during an emergency? There is a need to re-evaluate the concept of not using lifts in emergencies.
Once power is cut off, lifts are programmed automatically to home to the ground floor when an emergency is activated regardless of the nature.
Fire, earthquakes, bomb threats, armed intrusion, and other emergency situations put employees at risk. Although these are infrequent events, everyone must be prepared to respond appropriately, including employers who have employees with disabilities. To counter the devastation of natural and man-made disasters, many employers have implemented emergency preparedness plans.
Unfortunately, the strength of an emergency preparedness plan can never be fully measured until it has been tested in an actual emergency. However, it is possible to create new plans and fortify existing emergency plans to ensure they are as comprehensive as possible in securing the safety of employees with disabilities.
Government agencies with first hand experience dealing with such issues have provided eight rules to developing effective emergency preparedness plans.
1. Make sure people with disabilities are an integral part of the planning process. A person with a disability knows best what he or she may require in the event of an emergency. Indeed, the contributions of an employee with a disability can be advantageous to the overall emergency preparedness planning effort. For example, a blind person may be in a better position to lead someone out in a dark smoky stairwell than a sighted person.
2. Inform the local fire department about any particular issues that you have identified with respect to the employees with disabilities. Be sure to let the fire department know where employees with disabilities are located in the facility. Having people carry other people with disabilities out of the building may cause more chaos and actually impede fire officials from stabilizing the situation. Work with the local fire department to develop plans that are not cumbersome.
3. Communicate with building managers and engineers about the various communication, alarm, and sprinkler systems in the building, as well as the designated location of “areas of rescue assistance.” These systems will have a vast impact on the design of an emergency preparedness plan.
4. Do not rely solely on a “buddy system.” A buddy system typically consists of assigning an able-bodied employee to assist an employee with a disability in the event of an emergency. The buddy system can lead to “not-my-job syndrome” The buddy assigned to the employee with a disability may not be in the office the very day, hour, or moment an alarm sounds. A better and more effective alternative is to have the volunteers and the employees with disabilities convene in a pre-determined area and wait for further instruction.
5. Purchase evacuation chairs, and plan to evacuate any mobility devices (e.g., wheelchairs) that evacuation chair users may require once they have been removed from the emergency situation. Many fire departments have ladders that cannot reach the entire height of a multiple story building. By having evacuation chairs available, people with disabilities can, at the very least, be moved to an area or floor where emergency response personnel can assist them further. Having a plan in place that provides for the evacuation of mobility devices provides a smoother transition for the employees who use these devices. Otherwise, employees will be basically helpless once they have left the emergency situation.
6. Plan for communications. This includes not only developing a system of communication that is accessible to and useable by everyone, but also knowing how to utilize the system.
7. Designate an emergency situation room. This room should have windows that face the street, along with a “HELP HERE” sign. This room should also be equipped with telephones and other equipment pertinent to your communication plan in this room.
8. Practice, practice, practice! Practicing is an essential component of emergency preparedness. It is impossible to adequately prepare for an emergency situation without having practiced. Apathy about practicing weakens a good emergency preparedness plan.
The plan must be tailored to address needs — based on the situations for the specific population — of your organization. It’s a good idea to build in flexibility, as the situation, and the population, may change.
Employers are required to conduct an evacuation drill, annually.
Communication, flexibility and agency commitment are the keys to establishing emergency procedures for employees with disabilities, according to a new Labor Department report.
More than 120,000 employees with disabilities work in facilities owned or leased by the federal government, according to Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities: An Interagency Seminar of Exchange for Federal Managers. The report, released on Monday, summarized concerns expressed by agency officials during a December 2003 conference called to identify best practices on the issue.
"We would hope that safety of workers is a top consideration in any facility," said Roy Grizzard, first assistant secretary of the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Conference attendees emphasized including people with disabilities in emergency preparedness planning.
Lawrence Roffee, executive director of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, pointed out the possible benefits of making people with disabilities a part of the evacuation plan. A blind person is likely in a better position to lead someone out in a dark, smoky stairwell much easier than a sighted person, he said during the conference.
The need for agency budget and personnel commitment is crucial during the implementation phase of an evacuation plan, the report argues. John Benison, disability policy adviser for the Transportation Department's Office of Civil Rights, reiterated this point, noting that a memo from Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta served as the catalyst for its emergency preparedness program. Investing in equipment such as evacuation chairs for the wheelchair-bound and vibrating pagers for the deaf were also cited as worthwhile costs.
The report also identified other technological improvements that could be used in federal buildings. Because alarm systems do not alert the blind or deaf in some circumstances, the report recommended a Computer Electronic Notification System that could provide more information by designating the type of emergency and instructions. This could only be used, however, if employees were at their desks. Strobe lights were recommended to supplement audible fire alarms.
According to Edwina Juillet, co-founder of the National Taskforce on Fire/Life Safety for People with Disabilities, the assumption that elevators cannot be used in emergencies is not always true. Elevators are built to resist hours of heat exposure and smoke, said Juillet, who urged the development of a mode of communication between elevator operators and people with disabilities. One participant noted that teletypewriters in elevators would allow deaf employees to communicate with command centers as well.
Familiarity not only with new technologies but with procedures and possible glitches was another point stressed by conference attendees. Without drills, it is unlikely that employees will be familiar enough with evacuation procedures to proceed efficiently in an emergency situation. Practice also allows for adjustments. As problems arise, they can be remedied before an actual emergency occurs. And though some participants worried that repeated drills would lead to nonchalance, Grizzard disputed that notion.
"To me, memories of 9/11 are too etched in our minds," Grizzard said. "People say practice makes perfect, but for us, practice makes permanent."
WASHINGTON -- We have heard a lot recently about the emergency kits residents have been asked to keep in their homes, but local building managers are also taking the threat of terrorism seriously.
At the Watergate office complex, the public relations firm of Hill and Knowlton has a plan in place. In the event of an emergency, offices along the exterior walls would be evacuated and sealed. All employees would move into rooms in the center of the building where they can gather for more information.
At the historic Homer building in downtown D.C., one button in the building can shut down the ventilation system in the building in the event of a chemical or biological attack.
Offices have also been given emergency kits with things like flashlights, rope, tape, and tools. The kits are designed to help people either get out of the building, or stay safe inside.
Offices also have police scanners, two-way radios and battery powered TV sets.
The building itself is equipped with special evacuation chairs that help people with disabilities go down stairs. Everyone in the building has been given a whistle and a portable flashlight.
All of the building entrances and exits are closely monitored and office staff are told to be more cautious around visitors.
Schools Committed To Keep Students Safe Two of the biggest school districts in the Washington area are trying to reassure parents in these uncertain times.
In Montgomery County, Md., students went home Thursday with a letter from Superintendent Jerry Weast. He said all schools in the county have crisis plans in place that can be quickly activated.
But he also warned of the possibility that access to schools could be blocked for what Weast calls "a variety of reasons beyond our control." Weast said parents will need to monitor television and radio stations for updates in the event of an emergency. But he stressed that safety of students and employees is their first priority.
In Fairfax County, Va., school officials said all of their schools have safety plans that have been designed with input from law enforcement, emergency management and public health officials. They said, depending on the type of emergency, the result could be an evacuation, a lockdown or a shelter-in-place.
D.C. Public Schools held an emergency preparedness drill Wednesday.
Many schools are stocking up on supplies to take care of children in an emergency until their parents can pick them up.
Experts said educators should also mentally prepare children for the possibility of an emergency. They said all schools should work with state leaders and local police and fire departments to come up with plans.
Doctors recommend that parents keep a package of potassium iodide tablets. The medicine is available over the counter and can be used in the event of a nuclear power plant disaster.
With a Comprehensive Emergency Plan in Place, SDSU is Ready for Spontaneous Crises
7/30/2008 3:00:56 PM
As Florida recovers from Hurricane Frances, it’s tempting for those here at San Diego State University to relax and be thankful that this region doesn’t face such regular threats of disaster. Steve Williams, coordinator of the Emergency Planning Team, with President Stephen Weber
The only problem is, San Diego does face constant threats, said University Police Captain Steve Williams, who coordinates the campus’ Emergency Planning Team (EPT). What’s worse, he added, is we can’t see them coming.
“Things like hurricanes and tornadoes can be anticipated and forecast, but the threats we have here in California – earthquakes, fires, even terrorism – are spontaneous and don’t give us the opportunity to take last-minute steps to become prepared,” Williams said. “That’s why it’s critical for everyone on this campus to be ready and know what to do in a crisis. The start of the fall semester is a perfect time for everyone to consider this issue and familiarize themselves with our plans and resources.”
To maximize the university’s readiness for large-scale emergencies, SDSU has developed a comprehensive emergency plan lauded as a national model by the federal Department of Homeland Security. The plan is regularly tested and improved through evaluations, tabletop exercises and evacuation drills.
The campus has also enhanced its readiness through the addition of new emergency resources. Last year, SDSU installed an automated “reverse 911” phone system that will accelerate the notification of campus personnel whether they are on or off-campus. Evacuation chairs – used to help move disabled persons down stairs – are now placed in the Cuicacalli dining complex (for use in nearby residence halls) and in the SDSU Library.
SDSU also procured additional caches of emergency supplies around campus. SDSU's web home page is formatted to publicly communicate critical information during disasters.
Consumer perspective: narrative analysis of a disaster preparedness and emergency response survey from persons with mobility impairments.
7/30/2008 2:54:25 PM
The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain a better understanding of disaster preparedness for and the difficulties faced by persons with mobility impairments to guide future research and policy development. From an online Internet survey, 56 persons with mobility impairments who have experienced a catastrophic event described what was helpful for survival, what difficulties were experienced during and after the event, lessons learned, and future directions for emergency management. From a consumer perspective, it was found that both general and disability-related disaster preparedness efforts were useful for the survival, independence, health, and safety of persons with mobility impairments. It was also found that coworkers, family, friends, neighbors, and strangers often formed spontaneous networks during and after disasters that provided needed assistance. Difficulties surfaced when there was a lack of community and workplace evacuation plans, someone was left behind during an evacuation, there was no accessible sheltering or temporary housing, and infrastructure broke down (power, public transportation, and elevators). Persons with mobility impairments encouraged their peers to develop individual preparedness plans and to be active in community-based disaster planning. Emergency management was asked to address the needs of persons with disabilities and to include them in emergency management.
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Persons with mobility impairments or other disabilities are often not prepared for disasters. For example, only 47% of persons with disabilities report having a household evacuation plan in place, and only 57% report having a workplace plan (National Organization on Disability [NOD], 2005b). Community-level disaster preparedness plans designed to meet the needs of persons with mobility impairments or other disabilities often do not exist (Center for Independence of the Disabled New York [CIDNY], 2004; Fox, White, Rooney, & Rowland, 2005; Kendall-Tackett & Mona, 2005).
Local emergency management preparedness efforts rarely include input from persons with mobility impairments (Fox et al., 2005). In addition, a majority of emergency managers are not trained in the unique preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation needs of persons with mobility impairments (Fox et al.) or other disabilities (Kendall-Tackett & Mona, 2005). This lack of preparedness for persons with mobility impairments continues to occur despite evidence identifying persons with physical disabilities as at risk for death in natural disasters (Chou et al., 2004; Osaki & Minowa, 2001) and residential fires (Runyan, Bangdiwala, Linzer, Sacks, & Butts, 1992).
In privately owned businesses, disaster preparedness for persons with mobility impairments and other disabilities is also often overlooked, as was the case with the 9/11 terrorist attacks (Kendall-Tackett & Mona, 2005). This lack of preparedness is being challenged by a 2004 ruling by a Circuit Court of Maryland for Montgomery County (Comstock, 2005; Gardner & Hollman, 2005). The ruling requires shopping malls, stores, restaurants, and other private entities to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by accommodating persons with disabilities in disaster evacuation plans (Gardner & Hollman, 2005). Katie Savage, a wheelchair user, filed the suit after being trapped in a shopping mall with no accessible exits during an evacuation. Store employees did not provide assistance, and she was left behind at an elevator that automatically shut down during an emergency situation (Comstock, 2005; Gardner & Hollman, 2005). This ruling also has implications for public buildings that have inaccessible wheelchair escape or egress routes (Comstock, 2005).
Accessibility problems for persons with mobility impairments persist in disaster response, recovery, and mitigation stages as well (CIDNY, 2004; National Council on Disability [NCD], 2005). For example, persons with mobility impairments continue to report difficulties during and after a disaster when shelters, shelter restrooms, and other temporary housing are not accessible, or when nonaccessible public transportation is the only means available (CIDNY, 2004; Kendall-Tackett & Mona, 2005; NCD, 2005). These problems remain despite ADA requirements for accessibility (Access Board, 2002) and repeated reporting of these incidents in the mitigation process of emergency management (CIDNY, 2004; NCD, 2005).
Evacuation plans often overlook the need to prioritize evacuation of users with mobility devices or the need to reunite users with their own devices shortly after the evacuation (California State Independent Living Council [CSILC], 2004). Any separation from a mobility device during a disaster results in the loss of self-sufficiency in postdisaster settings such as shelters (CSILC, 2004; CIDNY, 2004). Being without a wheelchair that is designed for the unique needs of the user may also lead to compromises in functioning, safety, and physical and mental health (FEMA & U.S. Fire Administration, 1996).
Saving lives and preventing injuries are the premises behind disaster and emergency plans. Past experiences illustrate the importance of these plans for persons with disabilities. For example, a customized plan and regular drills made it possible for low-vision and blind employees in a Twin Towers office to evacuate safely and efficiently down nine flights of stairs during the 9/11 terrorist attacks (NOD, 2005a). In this same event, several persons with mobility impairments were assisted by coworkers down flights of stairs to safety using evacuation chairs purchased by employers (Byzek & Gilmer, 2001). Another person's prosthetic leg and his experience acquired in fire drills allowed him to keep pace down 70 flights of stairs with workers without disabilities (NOD, 2005a.). In contrast, other persons with mobility impairments died because either workplace plans did not exist to meet their needs, or the plans called for being left behind in an area of safe refuge until fire personnel could come to assist them (Byzek & Gilmer, 2001; Kendall-Tackett & Mona, 2005).
In view of the needless loss of life of people with disabilities under disaster conditions, we sought to gain knowledge from persons with mobility impairments who had experienced a catastrophic event. Specifically, we wanted to learn from a consumer perspective whether preparedness and relief efforts were useful, what difficulties were encountered during and after the disaster and emergency, what lessons were learned to share with peers, and what new directions should be taken by emergency management to better assist persons with mobility impairments.
KU seeks evacuation plans that account for disabled
7/30/2008 2:52:29 PM
If Kansas University’s Dole Human Development Center caught fire, Dot Nary isn’t sure she could make it out quickly and safely.
Nary, who uses a wheelchair, wants to change that.
She is part of a task force of KU staff members who are studying the university’s evacuation procedures for people with disabilities. Members are starting with the Dole Center and Haworth Hall, but they’re hoping to apply their report to all KU buildings.
“It’s like buying insurance,” Nary said. “You hope you don’t have to use it, but you need to attend to it in case.”
The task force is one of two groups at KU studying emergency evacuations for people with disabilities. Researchers recently received a grant to study how escape policies in 30 Kansas counties changed after disaster struck the counties.
The task force studying KU evacuations may recommend additional training for staff members or new equipment. Products such as evacuation chairs " which are portable chairs that can be carried by two people " can aid in removing people with disabilities when elevators aren’t in service.
John Mullens, assistant director of KU’s Public Safety Office, said the university didn’t have many policies regarding evacuations for people with disabilities.
About 20 campus buildings " representing about 40 percent of classroom and office space " have “smart” fire alarms that allow people who can’t escape to press a button in designated “places of refuge” to alert authorities they’re in the building.
“That’s the first thing everybody goes to as far as emergency response,” Mullens said.
He said KU used to train staff members in how to carry people with disabilities. But that could do more harm than good, he said.
“We did that for a while and found out there were problems with people who did it occasionally or only once in their lifetime,” he said. “They got too excited and did it the wrong way.” Though Nearly an impossible task for people with disabilities, evacuating buildings quickly during emergencies is a top priority for two research groups at Kansas University. Those heading the research, including Michael Fox, center, and Dot Nary, right, hope to make improvements to KU policies and learn from the ways in which 30 Kansas counties dealt with disasters. On Tuesday, the two researchers spoke near a stairwell In the Dole Human Development Center at KU.
Detailing plans Nary, a doctoral student and training director at KU’s Research and Training Center on Independent Living, works in the Dole Center. She said she hoped the task force would end with recommendations for how KU can train its staff for evacuations.
“I’m not sure they’re as detailed as they need to be,” she said. “There are some real basic issues we need to know how to deal with.”
A team of researchers at KU’s Schiefelbusch Life Span Institute is beginning a study that could bring similar policy changes in other parts of the state.
The researchers received a three-year, $615,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to select 30 Kansas counties that have recently experienced disasters to gather data on whether those disasters changed policies on evacuating people with disabilities.
9-11 lessons Glen White, director of the Training Center on Independent Living, said the 9-11 terrorist attacks helped spawn new research in the field. Four wheelchair users survived the World Trade Center towers were carried to safety using evacuation chairs provided by their employers.
“A common theme emerging from 9-11 is that there is virtually no empirical data on the safe and efficient evacuation of persons with disabilities in disaster planning,” White said.
He said many recommendations regarding evacuations are uninformed or impractical. For instance, a 1999 FEMA series published by the U.S. Fire Administration recommends that individuals mount a small “personal use” fire extinguisher on their wheelchairs.
Others are vague, such as this one: “Make sure your friends know the size of your wheelchair in case it has to be transported.”
“The Americans with Disabilities Act and the President’s New Freedom Initiative have brought more Americans with mobility and other impairments into the workplace and beyond,” White said. “We hope this study will lead to a national model that can prevent death and injury for this population in future disaster situations.”
Labor Department Office Urges Government Agencies to Be Prepared
By Michael Zimmerman Special to The Washington Post Thursday, September 2, 2004; Page A21
At a time when federal agencies, like private companies and individuals, are preparing for the worst in case of a terrorist attack, the Labor Department says there are steps the government should take in emergency preparedness planning for its workers with disabilities.
More than 120,000 federal workers with disabilities are particularly vulnerable during an emergency, so the department wants agencies to do a better job of finding shelter and evacuating disabled employees. Nadia Ibrahim, an Office of Disability Employment Policy employee, meets with Assistant Labor Secretary W. Roy Grizzard Jr. (Susan Biddle -- The Washington Post)
To prepare workers for any circumstance, the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy recently released recommendations on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities.
"The goal is to increase awareness and encourage federal agencies to include people with disabilities," said Nadia Ibrahim, policy adviser at the ODEP.
Ibrahim 33, who was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, is one of several individuals who contributed to the report. "I felt that it was necessary to get the word out on what to do in an emergency," Ibrahim said.
In the 80-page report, managers are given detailed information on promoting safety for their employees with disabilities. The recommendations include purchasing evacuation chairs, which are mobility devices, so people with disabilities can be moved to an area or floor where emergency response personnel can assist them.
The proposal also suggests informing the fire department in advance about employees with disabilities and using floor wardens and zone monitors to keep track of them. The report notes that the Labor Department includes general floor plans of its facility and an illustration of collection points for people evacuating the building.
The ODEP report suggests that officials provide training for those requiring assistance and those providing assistance. Other specific plans include audible directional signs, Braille signage for employees who are blind or have poor vision, and extra wheelchairs in the stairwells and the main lobby.
The goal for managers is to think ahead and be ready for whatever emergency might come along by bolstering existing emergency plans to take into account disabled employees, said Michael J. Volpe of ODEP's public affairs unit. He said the Labor Department, for instance, runs drills every few months, and has an emergency evacuation board that evaluates procedures.
"Emergency preparedness should never be a static situation; it's something that should always be evolving," said W. Roy Grizzard Jr., assistant secretary of labor in charge of the ODEP.
March 31, 2005 - 7:36am FAIRFAX, Va. - Fifteen-year-old Brian Glassmacher at Frost Middle School in Fairfax is part of the nationwide debate on student evacuations since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Glassmacher and his 16-year-old sister, Kailyn, both use wheelchairs. When the fire alarm sounds, instead of evacuating outside like the other students, they are taken to a designated "safe" room. Brian says when he's in that room, he's not safe. He wants to be outside.
The Glassmachers are lobbying school officials to install so-called evacuation chairs that will allow Brian and Kailyn to get outside. The chairs resemble law chairs on narrow rubber tank treads.
Fairfax school officials say that someone could get hurt transferring the kids to the chairs and that the designated safe area is the best approach.
Schools in Orange County, Virginia purchased evacuation chairs for disabled students.
By MARTIN MBUGUA DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU Tuesday, May 28th 2002, 1:73AM
Since Sept. 11, evacuation chairs - designed to quickly get people down stairwells in an emergency - are fast becoming must-have items in high-rise buildings here and across the country.
In recent months, thousands have been ordered. Among the customers: the United Nations, the FBI and other government agencies and private companies.
The light, folding chairs ride on stairs using a triple-wheel system that allows them to roll smoothly from one step to the next, or using long belts that glide along the edge of stairs when the chair is tilted back.
Demand for the chairs has skyrocketed since the World Trade Center disaster, said Joe Bourgraf, president of Ferno-Washington of Wilmington, Ohio, the largest nationwide supplier of emergency evacuation equipment.
""Evacuation chairs" are kind of what fire extinguishers used to be 20 years ago. You didn't have them on every floor, but now you do," said Bourgraf. "Defibrillators are now common, and chairs are the next thing."
He said he has sold evacuation chairs to several local customers, including Bronx Community College, The Bank of New York, the federal office building at 26 Federal Plaza, Philip Morris and Catholic Charities.
Even the Fire Department appears convinced that evacuation chairs are an idea whose time has come.
"We are in the business of saving lives," spokesman David Billig said. "If there is a product out there that can assist the Fire Department in saving lives, it would be safe to say we are interested in it."
Devising 21st-Century Escape Routes for Creative Exits
7/30/2008 1:36:31 PM
In office buildings around the country, a seemingly ubiquitous sign is drawing more attention these days. It reads, simply, ''Exit.''
After the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, workers in tall buildings have wondered how they will escape if disaster -- natural or human-caused -- strikes their workplace.
The swift and unexpected collapse of the towers has safety officials and engineers re-examining evacuation plans and stairway design. The collapse is also bringing attention to novel ideas for escape, some already in limited use and others far afield. They include escape tubes that could be slung outside a window, people-lowering devices outside of buildings, flying platforms that would remove occupants through windows and even individual parachutes as a last resort.
Evacuating other tall buildings in emergencies has always been a challenge. When there is trouble in a high-rise, usually a fire, elevators are the first things shut down for fear people will be trapped by power failure. In most instances, emergency stairs are the only way out. The higher the building, the more difficult and time consuming this route can be, particularly for the injured, the elderly or the disabled.
Jake Pauls, an evacuation consultant from Silver Spring, Md., said stairs would remain the main means of escape from tall buildings because outside fire ladders can reach only 9 to 12 stories. However, he said, many stairway exits need to be improved.
The stairways in the World Trade Center were superior to those of many office buildings, he said, and improvements like better lighting and ventilation installed after the 1993 basement bombing of the trade center helped save lives. Although the death toll of occupants and rescue workers was high, he said, thousands did get out in a relatively short time.
''The World Trade Center appears to have been a relative success story,'' Mr. Pauls said. ''Many of the people who could get out did.''
Mr. Pauls, who studied evacuation of the center after the 1993 bombing, said its stairwells were 56 inches wide, compared with 44 inches in most modern buildings, making it easier for people to come down while firefighters and other rescue workers went up. The tower stairs, like those in most office buildings, could have been improved with such things as continuous handrails with no gaps from top to bottom to aid people descending in poor lighting conditions, he said.
The disabled have special problems with stairway evacuations, but there are special evacuation chairs available to make this easier without impeding the flow of other evacuees, experts said. National surveys indicate that less than a half of 1 percent of the population uses wheelchairs, Mr. Pauls said, but about 3 percent of all people have some difficulty with stairs during evacuations. These include some with asthma, heart and other medical conditions, including hip, knees or back problems, and people with phobias about crowds or confined places.
Evacuation chairs, employ beltlike treads and special braking systems that let an attendant guide a person in the chair down the top of steps at normal walking speed. A problem has been having enough of these chairs and people trained to use them available in high-rises, experts said.
Some people are suggesting supplementing stairway evacuation with methods that offer an escape route outside of buildings, including selling individual parachutes.
2 Fairfax Students Who Use Wheelchairs Want to Be Able to Evacuate With Others By Maria Glod Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, March 10, 2005; Page B03
When the fire alarm sounds at Frost Middle School, 15-year-old Brian Glassmacher watches a parade of classmates march through the hallways and down the stairs. He knows they are heading out the door as he pilots his motorized wheelchair to a classroom where a teacher will be waiting. Brian Glassmacher, 15, of Fairfax Station, shown at home in his room, said he feels unsafe at Frost Middle School having to wait for rescue personnel in the second-floor evacuation room designated for disabled students.
Fairfax County school officials say the designated room -- with a window, near a stairwell and known to firefighters -- is the safest place for Brian and other wheelchair users who happen to be on the second floor. Brian disagrees.
"No exceptions, I want to get out of the building," Brian said recently at his home in Fairfax Station. "When you're in that room, you're not really safe. I'm not happy if the other kids are outside."
Brian and his 16-year-old sister, Kailyn, use wheelchairs because they suffer from a rare illness similar to muscular dystrophy. They are lobbying school officials to install so-called "evacuation chairs" that will allow them -- with help from an adult -- to get down the stairs and out the door.
The two teenagers and their parents say the chairs, which resemble lawn chairs on narrow rubber tank treads, are safe and effective. But Fairfax officials say that someone could get hurt and that it's smarter to wait for professional rescuers.
In the 3 1/2 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, debates such as this one have become more common as governments and private companies focus on improving emergency plans. In recent years, schools in Anne Arundel County and Orange County, Va., have purchased evacuation chairs, and school officials in Carroll County, Md., are considering them.
Hilary Styron of the National Organization on Disability's Emergency Preparedness Initiative said there is no clear consensus on whether evacuation devices or designated safe areas are better. She said the success of any emergency plan depends on proper training.
"There's not a set-in-stone answer here," Styron said. "The safe areas can be effective if the training and education is appropriate. The chairs and other evacuation devices also can be effective."
Dean Tistadt, assistant Fairfax superintendent for facilities and transportation services, said he is sympathetic to the Glassmachers' concerns. But he said school officials decided that the chair's risks outweigh the benefits.
"If we believed for a second that was a safer strategy, we would not hesitate for a second to buy those chairs," Tistadt said. He said he is concerned that staff members or students could be injured during the transfer to the evacuation chairs and that it would be difficult to ensure that enough employees are trained to use the device.
Tistadt noted that Fairfax firefighters, who helped develop the district's emergency plans, can be at any school in minutes and know where children in wheelchairs will be waiting. The staging areas, marked with signs inside and outside the building, are equipped with two flags, one to hang out the window and one to hang in the hall. An adult helper has a two-way radio.
Kailyn, 16, who attends Woodson High School, said those assurances give her little comfort. She worries that firefighters might not get to her or her brother in time, or that they could be overcome by smoke. Because she has a tracheostomy tube to help her breathe, she thinks going down the stairs in an evacuation chair would be safer than being carried out a window.
"They want to be treated as equals," said Maureen Glassmacher, their mother. "They know they have limitations, but they know there are ways around them."
Diane Ferguson, a safety specialist with Anne Arundel schools, said the district used to have a policy similar to Fairfax County's but switched to evacuation chairs a few years ago. "We decided we liked the idea of getting these children out instead of leaving them in an area for the fire department to get them," Ferguson said. "Some of these kids were frightened up on the second floor."
Ferguson said the district has about 80 chairs, which cost about $2,300 each, and began installing them in 2002 in all two-story schools with students who use wheelchairs. Adults at the schools volunteered for training, and two are assigned to each chair, in case one is absent. There have been no fires, but Ferguson said the chairs have been used successfully in drills.
Carroll School Superintendent Charles I. Ecker said officials there are considering adding the chairs after a high school restroom fire in December. Two students in wheelchairs waited for help with an adult employee in a designated spot near a stairwell.
Montgomery County's fire policy is similar to Fairfax's. Prince William County has some chairs, but students in wheelchairs attend classes on the first floor only. In Loudoun County, earth berms are built at new schools to allow ground-level access from each floor.
If an earthquake strikes or a fire blazes through a school building, Palm Springs Unified School District officials want to be prepared to handle the situation.
With a grant of around $160,000, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, district leaders plan to to train employees in emergency preparedness.
"Every school has to be aware for (emergencies) and plan for that," said Roy Hill, manager of the district's security and emergency preparedness programs.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools started awarding these types of grants in October 2003 to help prepare school districts for any emergency or crisis. This year, Palm Springs Unified and Coachella Valley Unified school districts were among 92 school districts across the country to receive the federal grants.
Hill, who wrote the grant, said the money will be used toward training programs to handle emergencies.
One includes the School Emergency Response team program, in which four employees from each school site will receive training for a number of emergencies such as light firefighting, search and rescue, and first aid.
Administrators at individual schools will also be trained to assess a building's security and vulnerability, Hill said. They may look for extra doors that should not be open and other things that make a school vulnerable.
Possible uses of the grant funds include:
training classes for all school sites in basic emergency preparedness;
purchasing evacuation chairs to help evacuate non-ambulatory students and staff from multistory buildings;
creating bilingual emergency preparedness brochures and fliers for distribution at school sites and parent/teacher programs;
developing an online educational/informational module to provide training to parents, community members and students about the district's
Outraged disabled people have slammed a new state of the art health centre which turned them away because of a lack of safety equipment.
Yeadon's £6.9m Health Centre opened its doors to patients in October last year, and has been providing a limited specialist dental service.
But two wheelchair-bound women were told they could not be treated at the second floor dental unit because the centre did not have emergency evacuation chairs to take disabled patients down the stairs if lifts cannot be used because of fire.
Yesterday the Leeds PCT apologised to the two women involved and said the problem had now been resolved.
The issue came to light after double amputee Diane Laurie was turned away when she arrived for her appointment.
Mrs Laurie, 67, of Otley Lane, Yeadon, is terrified of dentists and had to psyche herself up for the appointment.
She said: "It is the first time I have not been able to do something because of my disability. It is unacceptable that a brand new building should not be properly equipped for disabled people.
"It is the first time I have really realised how disabled people feel when because of their disability they can't do normal things like go to the dentist."
Mrs Laurie, who has had to use a wheelchair for the past four years, added: "My son took me there and we got the lift up. It's a beautiful new building - but when we got up there they said sorry we can't treat you because we haven't got an evacuation chair and there could be a fire.
"You do expect it in these Victorian buildings, but not in a brand new health centre.
"I said it is only going to take 10 minutes - can you just slip me in. I said if the firemen has to come he can throw me over his shoulders."
Christine Wendon, 64, who suffers from MS, was referred to the centre by her dentist but was left waiting for an appointment.
When her husband rang to find out what was happening he was told they didn't have the facilities to cope with his wife who uses a wheelchair.
Mrs Wendon, of Yeadon, said: "My husband was absolutely disgusted, and so was I. Why have a place like that opening if you haven't got all the facilities?"
The lack of basic equipment in a brand new centre has outraged the women's councillor Graham Kirkland.
He said: "I think this is absolutely disgraceful and discrimination of the first order. The place has been open a year - why was such a vital piece of equipment not ordered before it was even opened?
"These chairs are available for a negligible amount of money and they are not difficult to get hold of. Relative to the cost of the multi-million pound centre these chairs are very small beer indeed.
"We fought very hard to get a dental unit there and when we get one they are turning people away.
"I just wonder how many other disabled wheelchair users they have turned away."
A spokesman for the PCT said: "We would like to apologise to our two patients who have had difficulty in receiving treatment at Yeadon Community Health Centre.
"We sincerely regret that this has happened and we thank them for bringing this matter to our attention.
"We have made investigations and are pleased to say that this situation has been resolved and that people will be able to receive their treatment."
“Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities.” IRELAND
7/13/2008 10:25:47 PM
The NDA has today (3 April 2008) launched an important new publication entitled ‘Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities’. The publication is aimed at ensuring the speedy and safe evacuation of public buildings by people with a disability, particularly in the event of an emergency.
The Chairperson of the NDA, Dr. Angela Kerins commented: “ensuring safe egress in an emergency is a complex issue requiring consideration of a broad range of factors, including the design and usage of a building, the training of staff and the provision of appropriate equipment and facilities.
“Those responsible for buildings must ensure safe egress for all and this requires consideration of the needs of everyone using the building, particularly the specific requirements of people with disabilities,” she said.
This publication will be of special interest to facilities managers, accommodation officers, health and safety personnel, access officers, disability liaison officers and human resource professionals in the public sector. It will also be of interest to design consultants and disability organisations involved with accessibility matters as well as people with disabilities, families and carers.
This important guide will assist organisations to plan effectively for the safe evacuation of people with disabilities, both staff and customers. Readers will find information on evacuation strategies, alarm equipment, evacuation equipment, training and specific building types, including healthcare buildings, educational buildings and heritage buildings.
It also provides details of an appropriate planning process to ensure that people with disabilities can safely evacuate a building in case of emergency. There is a practical ‘risk assessment checklist’ to help organisations to assess their current situation.
The report is currently available for download http://www.nda.ie/egress. You can also request a copy of the report from publications@nda.ie or by telephone on 01 608 0400. If you require this publication in an alternative format, please contact the ETA team at eta@nda.ie or 01 608 0447.
With a report by CTV Montreal's Tania Krywiak A firefighter escorts a woman from a burning building in Montreal on Monday, March 24, 2008.
Fire crews in Montreal are being hailed as heroes after rescuing a disabled woman from a burning building.
The fire broke out at an apartment building in the city's east end.
"I screamed fire! Fire," said Stephen Craft, who lived in one of the apartments with his family.
"I tried to go my bedroom door (but there was) too much smoke. I found my quickest way out. I punched my window and it broke and I cut myself."
Craft says he then tried to get his mother, but she was already being rescued.
"I saw my upstairs neighbour -- his kid was saving my mother, pulling her out (through) the backdoor window," he said.
"(Then) I ran inside, I covered my face and try my best to save my sister but I couldn't find her in the smoke, so I ran back outside.
"I punched her window to help her breathe better until the firemen got there. I comforted her through the window, talked to her."
Soon firefighters arrived, and they rushed to help. Craft said he screamed that his sister couldn't move. One of them carried the 10-year-old girl -- who has spina bifida -- to safety.
"I really had 30 seconds to make a decision," Montreal firefighter Andre Chartrand told CTV News.
"The smoke was OK -- from my feeling, from my experience. When I got in, I stood up and thought the heat is OK, I just have to move really quickly. I just took her, went out -- 30 seconds and it was done."
The disabled woman was transported to hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery.
"I am the happiest man in the world," said Chartrand.
Several other people also needed medical attention, including three firefighters and a police officer. In all, the fire, which was believed to have been sparked by unattended cooking oil, forced 20 people out of their apartments. Three apartments are considered a total loss, while nine have smoke and water damage.
The city will now try to help the homeless families find low-cost housing.
"We are looking all around in the neighborhood. If we can't find an apartment in the neighborhood, we go to the city at large in Montreal," said Serge Villandre from the city's Office de l'habitation.
The Craft family says the next few days and weeks will be difficult.
"I lost everything I own, except my life and the clothes on my back," Stephen said, adding his sister and mother only have their pyjamas.
American Red Cross volunteers Jerry Franz, left, and Ron Maloney unload bedding supplies Wednesday at a shelter set up for residents of the Port Plaza Towers in Green Bay after Wednesday's fire. Jim Matthews/Press-Gazette
Evacuating about 125 residents — some of them disabled — because of a fire at an eight-story downtown apartment building took about eight hours and proved to be a challenge for Green Bay firefighters.
"Many evacuated on their own, many did not," Lt. Nick Craig of the Green Bay Fire Department said Thursday. "We had to go door to door to make sure everyone was out."
The fire at Port Plaza Towers, 304 N. Adams St., was reported just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, and many residents left the building wearing only pajamas or robes. The last person was removed at about noon, Craig said.
Some people in lower floors didn't answer their doors, he said. Some disabled people had to use a chair to come down the stairs, as elevators were not operating because electricity was shut off. New stair chairs ride down stairs on a tank-like tread.
No one was injured. Firefighters didn't need to break down any doors.
"Getting people to evacuate is always a big challenge in large complexes," he said.
The displaced residents are not allowed to return home for at least another night.
About 30 Port Plaza Towers residents stayed on cots Wednesday night at St. Willebrord Catholic Parish, 209 S. Adams St., the Lakeland Chapter of the American Red Cross said. Others stayed with family or friends or at hotels. The Red Cross provided extra clothes and comfort kits to fire victims.
Residents may be allowed to move back in by late this evening, said Jody Weyers, American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter communications director.
"Anticipated repairs needed for occupancy and required city approval is to be anticipated for late Friday afternoon," Victoria Parmentier, President of R.E. Management, Inc. said in a Red Cross press release.
Apartment management staff retrieved items from the complex for residents today, but tenants were not allowed inside, Weyers said.
Investigators think the fire was accidental and originated in the living room of the eighth-floor apartment. The tenant was not home at the time.
"We cannot rule out electrical components as the cause," Craig said.
A damage amount is still undetermined, Craig said.
A sprinkler system activated just outside the top-floor apartment and helped contain the blaze, Craig said.
The eight-story building was built in 1923 as the 300-room Northland Hotel. It was converted to assisted-living units in 1979. The nonprofit Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp. of Madison owns it, according to online Brown County land records.
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