Hi all!

As you may recall, I once posted about emergency evacuation for school
children with disabilities, and said that I would contact various authorities
having jurisdiction (AHJ) regarding the subject regulations.  I didn't
receive specific information to pass along, but I will share what they shared
with me as well as some follow up thoughts.  This topic is fairly old now,
and I apologize for taking so long to get back to you.  My tardiness doesn't
reflect my opinion of the seriousness of this issue.

I contacted the following agencies: The Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire
Brigade (UK); the Ottawa Fire Department (Canada); and the National Fire
Academy public relations office (US).  I don't know all the countries
represented on this list, but from the general response I got, I have
developed a position that should be suitable for all.  In this post, I will
also comment about fire evacuation for PWDs in general -- adults as well as
children.  It's a long read, but I truly believe it's worth your time.

Within each country, there are local AHJs.  For example (one I know about
from occupational experience), in the US, there are National Fire Codes which
are guidelines until adopted by state authority as regulation.  Basically,
issues such as emergency evacuation in special situations are governed by
local authority.  Thus, the departments I contacted were not able to make
specific recommendations.  I did get kind replies from all three agencies, by
the way.

For the protection of your children, as well as their classmates, I heartily
recommend that you cause this to be a topic of special interest with their
teachers and school authorities.  You can ask about the specific evacuation
procedures in your child's school, and specific plans regarding your child's
special needs.

Are the teachers/staff members *intimately* familiar with the school's fire
evacuation plan?

Knowing where the illustrated escape routes are posted, and having evacuation
drills just to pacify local authority does not constitute intimate
familiarity.  Practice makes perfect, and to that end, does the school
conduct periodic evacuation drills with the genuine interest and expectation
of getting the procedure down to a science?

The chances are excellent that your child's school is annotated in the local
fire department/brigade's "preplans" as having special needs children.
Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to touch base with that agency to make sure.
In the process, you can also ensure that they know you have a special need's
child living in your home.

If you live in another fire department's response area, why not contact both?
 You should expect to be received warmly and offered a special visit to the
fire department.  As a firefighter and fire inspector, I gave many a child
the grand tour: Where we slept, lived, and ate, and they always got to sit in
the fire truck and wear my helmet.  At the end of their visit, they left with
a "junior fire chief" badge, and a fire safety coloring book or whatever
child "fire safety thing" I had in my desk at the time.

*Personal opinion not representing any legal authority: There are oval,
fluorescent window decals called "tot finders" floating around the US and
perhaps elsewhere.  The idea is to place one of these stickers on the window
of your child's bedroom so firefighters can know where he or she is.  In my
opinion, based on my experience as a firefighter and fire inspector, the same
goal and more can be accomplished by visiting your fire department and asking
that your house plans and specific needs be included in their preplans.
Placing this sticker on your child's bedroom window advertises the most
vulnerable point of entry to those who might wish to break in your home.

I do not know whether these decals are being promoted at this time, but
occasionally, I still see one on a bedroom window.  That means the bad guys
can see it too, and knows where that family's child sleeps.

Fire departments have (or should have) public relations folks who conduct
fire safety education for children.  You might wish to contact your fire
departments public relations department to ask about this.  They might have a
program such as the "Learn Not To Burn" program, that will help your child
understand the principles of fire safety and how to protect himself in the
event of a fire.

For all: We talk about disability access -- that's our goal.  But once we get
in, can we get out?  I have paid special attention to means of egress (exit)
since I have been disabled, and I don't like to get too far from accessible
exits.

I have also noticed that when I go to a restaurant or other places with fixed
seating, and transfer from my wheelchair to another seat, the staff often
wants to take my chair to another location to get it out of the way.  I
never, never, never let them do that.  I can guarantee that when that
structure is on fire, they will forget all about my need for escape in favor
of submitting to the total confusion that usually accompanies that kind of
emergency.  I never let anyone take my assistive devices to a place where I
cannot get them myself.

Offices: The latest fad, as you know, is to have modular office furniture
which creates convoluted paths of travel.  One of the byproducts of fire is
the liberation of carbon monoxide -- "CO" (as well as other lethal goodies
depending on what is being combusted).  CO causes you to be "stupid" very
quickly.  If you are very lucky, you may be able to find your way to the
exit.  Unfortunately, your judgment will likely be so adversely affected,
that you will be unable to remember how to operate the door handle.  This can
happen in your own home as well.  Please understand that you will probably
not recognize that your judgment is impaired.

Also, please make sure your attendant, if you have one, knows these things
too.  If you are depending on this person to help you escape, he/she
definitely has a "need to know" status.

Fire scenes in the movies are not realistic, in that they don't demonstrate
how black and unbreathable it is in a fire.  You cannot see your hand in
front of your face.  Additionally, if you do anything but crawl on the floor
"sucking carpet" while you are trying to escape, you may be succumb
immediately to either the effects of CO, or in a fire that has gained more
serious headway, superheated gasses.  Our lungs just hate that stuff.

The most breathable air in a fire is in the lowest area of the room: The
floor.

Please participate seriously in your office fire drills, particularly if you
need special assistance to evacuate.  Please make sure that your plan to
escape is honed to a fine art form, so you are not caught short in the event
of fire.

Fire safety involves many considerations, from the combustible nature of the
furnishings you have and the clothing you wear, to knowing where your fire
extinguishers are and how to use them.  But sometimes, as you know, we go to
plan B without warning.  Nothing is fire proof -- at best something might be
fire resistive.

If all else fails, please be sure you can get out.

Thanks for reading,

Betty