Emergency Preparedness For Persons with a Disability

Emergency preparedness is about being ready for what happens, learning from our experiences, and preparing better for the next event. It takes ongoing effort from all of us to create and sustain an effective emergency preparedness program. You are your own best first responder—please use the resources found on the website for the Office of Emergency Management and Business Continuity along with the information below as a resource to better understand your role in emergency preparedness at the University of Maryland, and how you can become part of and contribute to our preparedness community.

On this page:

Preparing for an emergency
General tips for community members
Tips for evacuation assistance buddies
Tips for individuals with disabilities

Please note if you click any of these links, you may need to scroll back up a little to get to the header. We're working on adjusting this.

Planning: what to do before and during an emergency

Develop a personal emergency plan.

Every individual is encouraged to think through developing a personal emergency plan that outlines appropriate resources and responses in the event of an emergency. The plan should include specific evacuation procedures, sheltering procedures, and means of communication in the event of an emergency. Each individual should:

Always be aware of your exact location
Know where the nearest exit and fire alarm are located.
Develop a communication plan that includes:
- Having the campus 911 or 301-405-3333 number programmed in your phone
- Make sure you are receiving alerts from the UMD Alert System
- Be ready to inform emergency personnel of your exact location
Determine what will be needed to shelter in place
- An emergency preparedness kit. Things it might include:
  - 1-2 days of medications
  - 1-2 days of medical supplies
  - Back up power supply for any battery powered devices
  - Food for a service animal
- Allergen-free food items
- Bottled water
- Mask
Identify an accessible evacuation route
- Determine if you will need assistance evacuating
- Identify at least two assistants who are willing and able to provide you with assistance during an emergency. The assistants should be a friend who is likely to be in the same building at a similar time frame as you. Make sure to be specific about what type of assistance you will need.
- In the event you cannot evacuate safely, independently or with assistance, identify the safest location/areas of refuge (i.e. where you can await assistance from emergency personnel). For more information on evacuation assistance and areas of refuge, please see the section below.

If evacuation assistance is desired, it is suggested that you:

Self-request assistance from two friends or colleagues at the locations you frequently visit. Indicate what type of assistance you are requesting. If physical exertion is needed, ask the buddies to verify they are physically able to assist you without harming themselves.
Familiarize yourself with the buildings you frequent. Practice using each of the possible evacuation routes. Check for obstacles, if possible. Remember: smoke, debris, flooding, loss of electricity, or other impediments may be present. Elevators are not safe to use for fire evacuations.
If you are unable to evacuate the building, seek a location that provides refuge, when possible. Call 911 or 301-405-3333 for emergency evacuation assistance. Inform another evacuee of your location. Possibilities for refuge areas:
- Enclosed stairwells that do not impede evacuation progress
- An adjoining building behind fire doors
- An office with a closed door, located a safe distance from the hazard
- Exit balconies or corridors
- A designated area of refuge where available
- Report to your designated assembly area
Notify emergency responders immediately about your location and condition in the building.

Make sure to practice your evacuation plan. This is the best way to discover unanticipated issues and solve them before—instead of during—an emergency.

General Tips for Community Members

In an emergency, community members should assist individuals with disabilities in the following ways:

Ensure that the individual is aware of the emergency. Inform persons who are Deaf and hard of hearing of the emergency individually; do not assume that they know what is happening by watching others.
Before attempting to offer assistance, always ask an individual with a disability how you can best assist them and whether there are any special considerations that should be made or items that need to come with them.
You may assist in evacuating individuals with disabilities if it does not place you in personal danger.
Assist individuals who are unable to use the stairs by guiding them to a location that provides refuge and notifying 911 of the individual's location.
If on the ground floor, most people with disabilities will be able to exit safely without assistance. However, it is important to verify that individuals using any kind of assistive device are capable of successfully leaving the building unassisted, via emergency routes.

Tips for Evacuation Assistance Buddies

Do the following when assisting an individual with low vision or blindness during an evacuation:

Tell the person the nature of the emergency and offer your arm for guidance. This is the preferred method when acting as a "sighted guide."
Give verbal instructions to advise about the safest route or direction, using estimated distances and directional terms.
As you walk, tell the person where you are and where obstacles are located.
When you reach safety, orient the person to their surroundings and ask if they need further assistance.
Ensure that a service animal is not separated from the person, if possible.

Some people who are Deaf or hard of hearing may not perceive the audible fire alarm during an emergency. Use an alternative warning system, such as:

Write a note to tell the person of the situation, the nearest evacuation route, and where to meet outside. (Sample script: "FIRE! Go out the rear door on your right. NOW. Meet outside on the front lawn.")
Turn the light switch on and off to gain their attention, and then indicate through gestures or in writing what is happening and what to do. Do not use the light switch technique if you smell natural gas in the area.
Give visual instructions to advise about the safest route or direction by pointing toward exits or evacuation maps.
Ensure that a service animal is not separated from the person, if possible.

Assist mobility-restricted people to an area of refuge or out of the building

Ask the person how you can best assist them in evacuating the area.
Consider the evacuation options and the suitability of carrying the person. Carrying options include:
- Using a two-person, lock-arm position.
- Having the individual sit on a sturdy chair (preferably with arms) that is then lifted and carried.

Do not lift an individual while in a wheelchair. There is too much risk involved for both the lay rescuer and the non-ambulatory person (back injury, loss of control of the wheelchair and person in it, tripping, falling).

Note: Wheelchairs have many movable or weak parts that are not constructed to withstand the stress of lifting (e.g., the seat bar, foot plates, wheels, movable arm rests, etc.).

Be aware that some individuals in wheelchairs may have:

Minimal ability to move, and lifting them may be dangerous to their well-being.
Very little upper trunk and neck strength.
Respiratory conditions and/or equipment that increase their vulnerability to smoke, vapors, or other airborne toxicants.

Always ask the person having a disability what their needs and preferences are regarding:

Ways of being moved.
Whether to extend or move extremities when lifting because of pain, braces, etc.
Whether a seat cushion or pad should be brought along.
Aftercare, if the individual will be removed from the wheelchair.

If an individual is lifted from a wheelchair during evacuation:

Ask others to bring the wheelchair.
If the wheelchair is left behind, remove it from the stairwell and ensure it does not obstruct exit routes.
Reunite the person with the wheelchair as soon as possible, unless it had to be left behind to save the person.
Ensure that a service animal is not separated from the person, if possible.

Tips for individuals with disabilities

People who are blind or visually impaired need to know an evacuation route in time of emergency. It is good to learn at least one alternate route, just in case.
If the "buddy" system is used, the buddy should be someone familiar with the person with a disability, specifically knowing how to provide guiding assistance, and they should be familiar with the guide dog or other service animal. Additionally, back-up buddies should be recruited and trained.
"Buddies" should go to the agreed meeting place to look for the employee with a disability. If the employee is not found, the buddy should then immediately vacate the building.
Twice a year, it is good to practice leaving the building by at least one of the emergency evacuation routes. This improves familiarity of the evacuation procedures and routes for the employee, their service animals and the buddy/buddies.
Service animals: If the alarm is sounded, employees with service animals should always leave the building—if they don't, their service animals will learn to disregard the alarms. Additionally, never let go of your service animal.

Employees who are deaf or hard of hearing should talk with UHR about possible accommodations they might need.
Employees who are deaf or hard of hearing should develop a buddy system.
If the buddy employee is leaving his/her assigned work area for an extended time, i.e., for training or conference/meeting attendance, a temporary buddy should be established.
Should make sure their personal phone is connected to the UMD ALERT system.

In the event of an extreme emergency, employees using wheelchairs and scooters should consider alternative evacuations, including being picked up and carried out of the building. When circumstances necessitate separating the user and the wheelchair, keep the period of separation to a minimum.
If possible, find sufficient helpers to carry both the user and the wheelchair/scooter. When more than one flight of stairs is traversed, helpers may need to switch positions since one person may be doing most of the lifting. Switch positions only on a level landing areas.
When the lifting is complete, follow the instructions of the wheelchair's user and restore the manual or motorized wheelchair to full operation, then assist the user to a safe area.
In worst-case scenarios, it is most important to get the person out. The wheelchair/scooter can be left behind and replaced later.