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The University of Washington is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at least ten days in advance at: 206-543-6450/V, 206-543-6452/TTY, 206-685-7264/FAX, or by e-mail at dso@u.washington.edu.
This is a general guideline of evacuation procedures for persons with disabilities, which would make exiting difficult, during fire and other building emergencies. Faculty, staff, students and visitors with disabilities must develop their own facilities’ evacuation plans and identify their primary and secondary evacuation routes from each building they use. For general information about access to the University of Washington please consult the Disability Services Office Web site.
Persons with disabilities should:
- Be familiar with evacuation options.
- Seek evacuation assistants who are willing to assist in case of an emergency.
- Ask supervisors, instructors, Disability Resources for Students, Disability Services Office, or Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) about evacuation plans for buildings.
Most UW buildings have accessible exits at the ground level floor that can be used during an emergency. In buildings like the Health Sciences Center or Padelford Hall, people can move into the unaffected wings of the building rather than exiting. However, in most UW buildings people will need to use stairways to reach building exits. Elevators cannot be used because they have been shown to be unsafe to use in an emergency and in some buildings they are automatically recalled to the ground floor.
Evacuation Directors and Evacuation Wardens need to pre-identify staff, faculty, and students with disabilities and their locations. Determine their evacuation options, identify Areas of Refuge, coordinate obtaining an Assisted Evacuation Device (as needed – see below), and determine how they will evacuate from the building.
Individuals are also encouraged to sign up for UW Alerts on the UWEM Web site. UW Alerts will broadcast information electronically during crises or emergencies that may disrupt routine UW campus operations.
Evacuation Options
Persons without disabilities must evacuate to the nearest exit. Persons with disabilities have five basic evacuation options.
• Horizontal evacuation: Use building exits to the outside ground level or go into unaffected wings of multi-building complexes.
• Stairway evacuation: Use steps to reach ground level exits from the building.
• Stay in Place Unless danger is imminent, remain in a room with an exterior window, a telephone, and a solid or fire-resistant door. With this approach, the person may keep in contact with emergency services by dialing 911 and reporting his or her location directly. Emergency services will immediately relay this location to on-site emergency personnel, who will determine the necessity for evacuation. Phone lines are expected to remain in service during most building emergencies. If the phone lines fail, the individual can signal from the window by waving a cloth or other visible object.
The Stay in Place approach may be more appropriate for sprinkler protected buildings or buildings where an “area of refuge” is not nearby or available. It may also be more appropriate for an occupant who is alone when the alarm sounds. A “solid” or fire-resistant door can be identified by a fire label on the jamb and frame. Non-labeled 1-3/4 inch thick solid core wood doors hung on a metal frame also offer good fire resistance.
• Area of Refuge With an evacuation assistant, move to an area of refuge away from obvious danger. The evacuation assistant will then go to the building evacuation assembly point and notify the on-site emergency personnel of the location of the person with a disability. Emergency personnel will determine if further evacuation is necessary.
Usually, the safest areas of refuge are pressurized stair enclosures common to high-rise buildings, and open-air exit balconies. Other possible areas of refuge include: fire rated corridors or vestibules adjacent to exit stairs, and pressurized elevator lobbies. Many campus buildings feature fire rated corridor construction that may offer safe refuge. Taking a position in a rated corridor next to the stair is a good alternative to a small stair landing crowded with the other building occupants using the stairway. For assistance in identifying Areas of Refuge, call the EH&S Building and Fire Safety Office at 206-543-0465.
For false or needless alarms or an isolated and contained fire, a person with a disability may not have to evacuate. The decision to evacuate will be made by the Seattle Fire Department (SFD). The SFD will tell the individual their decision or relay the information via the University of Washington Police Department (UWPD).
• Assisted Evacuation Device In the event of a major earthquake or other campus-wide event that would prevent first responders from responding quickly, an assisted evacuation device such as a chair, can be used by trained personnel to evacuate mobility disabled persons.
Prior planning and practicing of emergency evacuation routes are important in assuring a safe evacuation. In addition, helpers and others who may assist those with disabilities are reminded to always ask someone with a disability how you can help before attempting any rescue technique or giving assistance. Ask how he or she can best be assisted or moved.
Persons using wheelchairs should stay in place, or move to an area of refuge with their assistant when the alarm sounds. The evacuation assistant should then proceed to the evacuation assembly point outside the building and tell SFD or UWPD the location of the person with a disability. If the person with a disability is alone, he/she should phone emergency services at 911 with their present location and the area of refuge they are headed to.
If a stair landing is chosen as the area of refuge, please note that many campus buildings have relatively small stair landings, and wheelchair users are advised to wait until the heavy traffic has passed before entering the stairway.
Stairway evacuation of wheelchair users should be conducted by trained professionals (SFD). Only in situations of extreme danger should untrained people attempt to evacuate wheelchair users. Moving a wheelchair down stairs is never safe.
Evacuation devices such as evacuation chairs may be used when first responders are unavailable. This could occur following a campus-wide emergency such as an earthquake or weapons of mass destruction (WMD) event. The following requirements must be met when using evacuation devices:
- Contact EH&S at 206-616-5519 to identify an appropriate device and determine where to store or place the device. In general, this will apply to departments with a mobility impaired employee whose primary work location is above the ground floor.
- Assign a primary and secondary user of the evacuation device.
- Each user will join the UW Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT). Coordinate with EH&S at 206-616-5519 to receive training on how to properly use the evacuation device.
- Train each user of the evacuation device. Update and document this training annually.
- Install the evacuation device in a location where it cannot impede egress of others from the building.
- The device will be used only by the assigned users and only when first responders are unavailable to assist a mobility impaired person to evacuate.
- Evacuation devices will become CERT team equipment and available for use by CERT team members only.
- Update the building’s Emergency Evacuation and Operations Plan by describing the standard operating procedures for the evacuation device.
Persons with mobility impairments, who are able to walk independently, may be able to negotiate stairs in an emergency with minor assistance. If danger is imminent, the individual should wait until the heavy traffic has cleared before attempting the stairs. If there is no immediate danger (detectable smoke, fire, or unusual odor), the person with a disability may choose to stay in the building, using the other options, until the emergency personnel arrive and determine if evacuation is necessary.
Some buildings on campus are equipped with fire alarm strobe lights; however, many are not. Persons with hearing impairments may not hear audio emergency alarms and will need to be alerted of emergency situations. Emergency instructions can be given by writing a short explicit note to evacuate.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with hearing impairments may be met by modifying the building fire alarm system, particularly for occupants who spend most of their day in one location. Persons needing such accommodation should contact Disability Services Office (leaves EH&S Web site).
Most people with a visual impairment will be familiar with their immediate surroundings and frequently traveled routes. Since the emergency evacuation route is likely different from the commonly traveled route, persons who are visually impaired may need assistance in evacuating. The assistant should offer their elbow to the individual with a visual impairment and guide him or her through the evacuation route. During the evacuation the assistant should communicate as necessary to assure safe evacuation.
People with speech impairments can hear standard alarms and voice announcements, and they can see visual indicators that warn of danger and the need to evacuate. Therefore, no special accommodations or additional planning is needed for speech impaired persons.
People with cognitive impairments can hear standard alarms and see visual indicators of the need to evacuate. However, the ability to recognize, understand, and respond appropriately to fire alarms and other emergency notification systems, as well as the ability to locate exits in an emergency should be evaluated. Plans for assistance may need to be developed by the department.
These guidelines are designed to complement the Departmental Emergency Evacuation and Operations Plan (EEOP) and Emergency Response Management Plan,, and to provide general information and promote planning. If you have any questions contact the Disability Resources for Students Office at 206-543-8924 (V/TDD).
A brochure can be made available in alternate formats for persons with disabilities. Please contact the Disability Services Office with any requests at least 10 days in advance: 206-543–6450 (Voice); 206-543-6452 (TTY); 206-685-3885 (FAX); access@u.washington.edu (e-mail).
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