Inclusive Event Procedures for Emergencies

Meeting Purpose

State that the purpose of the meeting is to:

Partnering to provide effective emergency assistance to all attendees.

Review emergency plans and procedures for the event area and sleeping facilities evacuations.

Understand how the expected numbers of attendees with disabilities may add greater complexity to emergency response than what is usually anticipated.

• Share the projected numbers of attendees with disabilities. Emphasize that these projections are typically low given that many people don’t request any accommodation.

Discuss if “standard emergency plans and procedures” address accessible emergency evacuations and determine if these plans need to be supplemented and /or modified, for the expected numbers of attendees with disabilities.

Items to Review

Describe the projected numbers and makeup of attendees (See above: Projecting numbers of attendees with disabilities). Explain that these people have a variety of disabilities (such as mobility, breathing, allergies, hearing, seeing, understanding or chronic conditions) and may have difficulty or be unable to: use stairwells, hear alarms, see or read exit signs, and/ or understand or focus on instructions.

If the event includes large numbers of people with disabilities emphasize this point. Some events have over 50% participants or upwards of 50 to 2000-3000 people with disabilities.

Review emergency procedures and specifically examine how an increased number of people with disabilities may affect the effectiveness of the standard emergency plan procedures. For example:

• Many mobility device users including wheelchair users and others unable to use steps:

  • Will need assistance

  • May need to use evacuate devices

• Are evacuation devices available for use in multi-story buildings? if yes, review:

  • Their locations.

  • Have they ever been used?

  • Are all staff trained on their use?

  • What is the procedure for repeated use of these device for all who will need them during an evacuation?

  • What is the procedure for, after an evacuation, quickly retrieving, as soon as possible, individuals’ mobility devices, service animals and other essential equipment to restore their mobility which may have been left behind?

  • Once evacuated, what is the plan for the use of temporary mobility devices, if personal device cannot be quickly retrieved? Note that whenever possible people should NOT be separated from assistance devices (cane, wheelchair, etc.)

• Ensure that registration staff are properly trained on the following before the event:

  • How and where to record evacuation assistance requests.

  • The importance of assigning lower floor rooms for easier evacuation when requested.

  • Explaining evacuation procedures.

  • Providing flashing fire alarm in guest rooms for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

Should there be any modifications of the typical plan, if for example:

• Review options for horizontal evacuation such as moving out to a parking structure or using elevators at other locations.

• Ask at the lodging registration, if attendees are staying overnight:

  • Would you like us to list you as needing assistance in an emergency, (i.e., fire, evacuation, etc.), due to walking, mobility, seeing or hearing or other issues?

  • Devise a system to maintain paper copies of this list, as well as electronic copies, updated no less than three to four times during a 24-hour period.

• Alert fire, police, and emergency medical services if a larger than usual numbers of people with disabilities will be in the facilities. This advanced situational awareness informs first responders to adjust the numbers and types of resources they would send if they have to respond to an emergency at the site. For example: increased number of responders, stair chairs or other types of evacuation devices, and / or other modified procedures

• Inform first responders that retrieval of attendees’ mobility devices, service animals and other essential equipment is a priority and must be completed quickly.

Review the contents of the attendee safety briefings to assure accuracy (See above Inclusive Safety Briefing).