Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide For People with Disabilities

STANDARD BUILDING EVACUATION SYSTEMS

A standard building evacuation system has three components:

1. The circulation path

2. The occupant notification system(s)

3. Directions to and through the circulation paths

Circulation Path

A circulation path is a continuous and unobstructed way of travel from any point in a building or structure to a public way.

The components of a circulation path include but are not limited to rooms, corridors, doors, stairs, smokeproof enclosures, horizontal exits, ramps, exit passageways, escalators, moving walkways, fire escape stairs, fire escape ladders, slide escapes, alternating tread devices, areas of refuge, and elevators.

A circulation path is considered a usable circulation path if it meets one of the following criteria:

• A person with disabilities is able to travel unassisted through the circulation path to a public way.

• A person with disabilities is able to travel unassisted through that portion of the circulation path necessary to reach an area of refuge. (See 7.2.12 of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, for more information.)

An area of refuge serves as a temporary haven from the effects of a fire or other emergency. The person with disabilities must have the ability to travel from the area of refuge to the public way, although such travel might depend on the assistance of others. If elevation differences are involved, an elevator or other evacuation device might be used, or the person might be moved by other people using a cradle carry, a swing (seat) carry, or an in-chair carry or by a stair descent device. (See 7.2.12 of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, for more information.)

A usable circulation path would also be one that complies with the applicable requirements of ICC/ANSI A117.1, American National Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, for the particular disabilities involved.

Occupant Notification System

The occupant notification systems include but are not limited to alarms and public address systems.

NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm Code, defines a notification appliance as "a fire alarm system component such as a bell, horn, speaker, light, or text display that provides audible, tactile, or visible outputs, or any combination thereof."

Directions to and through the Usable Circulation Path

Directions to and through the usable circulation path include signage, oral instructions passed from person to person, and instructions, which may be live or automated, broadcast over a public address system.

Personal notification devices, which have recently come onto the market, can be activated in a number of ways, including but not limited to having a building’s alarm system relay information to the device. The information can be displayed in a number of forms and outputs. Because this technology is new to the market, such devices and systems are not discussed here; however, emergency evacuation personnel and people with disabilities may want to investigate them further.