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Assistive Technology Center/ Rohrbach Library

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This brochure will acquaint you with procedures to follow during an emergency. Please take a few minutes to read and become familiar with these guidelines, since there is not time in an emergency to learn evacuation procedures.

Responsibilities of Person with Disability

In an emergency situation, it is critical to your health and safety that YOU are familiar with your needs during an emergency evacuation. You are EXPECTED to identify someone in advance who might assist you in leaving the building and/or who will inform emergency personnel of your presence and where you are located so that further assistance can be provided. Follow the guidelines below:

Pre-Emergency Preparation

• Be familiar with the location of exits in each building. Students with visual impairments may request orientation to safe exits each semester.
• Seek out volunteers (buddies) preferably those who will able to assist you.
• Be prepared to explain how and where the person(s) should support you.  Practice instructions before an emergency.

• If audible signals will not be heard by you, someone in the room or building should know that you will need to be addressed individually.

• If you have communication difficulties, place a sign on your chair with instructions on how you can be assisted.
• Carry a loud whistle or similar device you can operate. You may need to use it to alert people of your location if you become trapped.
• In class, position yourself near a doorway for easier exit. Do not block the doorway.

Areas of Rescue Assistance

Areas of rescue assistance are designated places where people with disabilities remain temporarily in safety to await further instructions of assistance.

Areas of rescue assistance have a two-way communications intercom at each location. The intercom becomes functional when the fire alarm system activates. The person needing assistance must press a button to send the call for help to the intercom control station, which is located near the fire alarm. Either the police or other emergency responder can converse with the person requiring assistance through the intercom system.

The following are designated areas of rescue assistance:

• DeFrancesco Building
  Between the old and new wings of the building on the ground floor and second floor.

• Rohrbach Library
  The stairtower in the Northwest corner of the building on the first and second floor.

• Graduate Center
  The second floor inside the stairwell in the rear of the building. The second floor inside the conference room off of the rotunda.

FIRE EMERGENCY

• In the event of a fire or notification of fire by voice, alarm, or an individual, it is important that the following guidelines are followed to ensure your safety:
• If fire is in the room where you are located, exit the area immediately, closing the door behind you.
• If you are in classroom or office when alarm sounds, feel the door. If it is hot, do not open it. Stay inside and call or attract someone’s attention for help.
• Activate the fire alarm, if not already sounding.
• Evacuate the building immediately by proceeding to the closest and safest exit. If you need assistance, go to the Help Area where emergency personnel can locate and assist you to safety.
• Report the fire by calling Public Safety—Dial 610-683-4001. Remain on the phone until you are told to hang up.

• If path to the exit is clear, and you are able to self-evacuate, leave the building immediately.
• Go to the nearest exit, enter if clear, and exit the building.
• If nearest exit is smoke-filled or compromised in any way, go to alternate exit and evacuate immediately.
• If primary and alternate exits are smoke-filled, distance yourself from the smoke and flames.
• If area becomes smoke-filled, get on the floor and remain near the exit for rescue personnel.

Assisted Evacuation

• Volunteers you have previously identified will assist you in evacuating the building.
• If buddies cannot safely evacuate you from a clear stair tower, you will be positioned at the stair tower or Help Area until rescue personnel arrive to assist you.
• If the area becomes smoke-filled, try to get on the floor.
• Two evac-chairs are located for emergency use at:
  
  Public Safety
  Old Main, Room 15
  Library main lobby
  

EVACUATION DRILLS

Evacuation drills are conducted in university buildings every six months. Usually these drills are unannounced, in order for authorities to evaluate response to the evacuation signal in a non-emergency situation.

Do not ASSUME that every time the fire alarm signal sounds, an evacuation drill is being conducted.

Respond immediately to all alarm signals and treat them as though there is an actual fire or other emergency in the building. If you are the volunteer (buddy) of a person with a disability, your response should follow the guidelines listed in this pamphlet up to the point of bringing the person with a disability to the closest and safest exit from which, in a real fire, safe exit could be made.

• REMAIN CALM
• DO NOT USE ELEVATORS
• TREAT EVERY ALARM AS AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY
• USE CLOSEST AND SAFEST EXIT
• IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO ABANDON AN ELECTRIC WHEEL CHAIR
• AVOID SMOKEY STAIRTOWERS
• WAIT IN SAFE LOCATION FOR EMERGENCY PERSONNEL IF BUDDIES CANNOT CARRY YOU
• EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WILL AUTHORIZE YOU TO RE-ENTER.