Students
Students with mobility impairment have an important responsibility to assist with arrangements for their own safety, by informing their instructors of their needs in case of an emergency. They should also inform their instructors what assistance they would require in case of an emergency. Students should know the location of firewalls in buildings they have classes. Contact Safety & Security or Maintenance personnel for locations of firewalls.
Instructors
Instructors with mobility impaired students should discuss with the student what assistance they will require in case of an emergency. The instructor should ask for volunteers from the class to assist mobility impaired students in the event of an emergency. In the event there are no volunteers, the instructor shall notify the Director of Safety & Security. The Director of Safety & Security will notify the instructor and student of the arrangements made in case of an emergency. Instructors should know the location of firewalls in their building. Contact Safety & Security or maintenance personnel for location of firewalls.
Staff
Staff with mobility impairment has an important responsibility to assist with arrangements for their own safety. They should inform their supervisor and co-workers of their needs in the event of an emergency. They should also inform their supervisor and co-workers what assistance they would require in case of an emergency. They should know the locations of elevators, stairways and firewalls in their buildings.
Evacuation Procedures
There should be at least two volunteers to assist each mobility impaired student or staff member. Volunteers should assist the mobility impaired person out of the building and to safety in the event of an emergency. The person with the impairment will know best what assistance he/she needs. The impaired person will also know to what extent they are able to assist the volunteers with their evacuation. In the event of a fire, and you are not on the ground floor, elevators may be used to evacuate the impaired person, if there is a firewall separating the elevator from the fire danger area. All major buildings on campus have firewalls. If an elevator is not available, the impaired person can be taken to a stairway. The volunteers and the impaired person should allow people on foot to use the stairway first, so the impaired student does not impede the flow of traffic or get injured by other people evacuating the building. Once the stairway is clear, the impaired person and one volunteer should remain at the top of the staircase and inside the closed fire doors. This will ensure the volunteer and impaired people are in plain view for fire rescue teams. With the fire doors closed, even if the ventilation system does not work, there should be a sufficient supply of oxygen to last until rescued. The other volunteer should exit the building and notify safety and security or fire rescue personnel of the location of the mobility impaired person and volunteer. There may be a case where the best action is for the impaired person and volunteer to remain in the classroom and wait for rescue. If this is the case, the instructor should notify safety and security or fire rescue personnel of the location and names of people remaining in the classroom or office awaiting rescue. As a last resort, the volunteers may need to carry the mobility impaired person down the stairway to safety. This method should be used only as a last resort because of the possibility of injury to the impaired person and volunteers. The impaired person, if possible, should make the decision to be carried to safety or to wait for fire rescue.