Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility For Your Safety A Guide For People with Disabilities and Other Activity Limitations
Attachment A: Disability-Related Issues for Emergency Plan Coordinators
(Give a copy of this checklist to personnel who are responsible for creating, reviewing, maintaining, practicing and revising emergency plans.)
DISABILITY-RELATED ISSUES FOR EMERGENCY PLAN COORDINATORS
| Date Completed | Activity |
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Make sure a relationship is established with your local fire department that includes:
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| Practice plans through regular drills. | |
| Know how to get to all the exits and practice this as part of regular drills. | |
| Practice using evacuation devices. | |
| Practice dealing with different circumstances and unforeseen situations, such as blocked paths or exits. | |
| Ensure that shift workers and others who are at the site after typical hours, (cleaning crews, evening meeting coordinators, etc.) are included in drills. | |
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Plans should include:
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| Orient all people to the plan. | |
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Plan Dissemination
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| Make sure that people know how to report safety hazards (i.e. fire extinguishers that need servicing, exits which are not kept clear, furniture and other items that block barrier‑free passages). |
Fire Department Coordination
It is important that a relationship with the local fire department be established and renewed at least once a year. It is also important that your plan be coordinated and practiced with the local fire and rescue services.
The plan should insure that the fire department knows that people with disabilities and others with activity limitations are at the site and will need specific assistance in an emergency.
Have you asked the local fire department to:
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Keep a copy of a current log containing the names of all people needing assistance. Let fire personnel know that you will send them updated copies. Also let them know where the most current copies will be kept (i.e. command or control center for your building security stations, etc.)
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Walk through your facility and offer advice to increase building safety.
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Review the plan.
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Observe a surprise drill and make comments.
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Review evacuation procedures for people with disabilities and other activity limitations. (If you will be using evacuation devices, make them aware of this fact).
EMERGENCY HEALTH INFORMATION
From Be a Savvy Health Care Consumer, Your Life May Depend on it!
© 2002 June Isaacson Kailes, Disability Policy Consultant, Playa del Rey, California and The Center for Disability Issues and the Health Profession, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California
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