Acknowledgement and Thanks

1
Acknowledgement and Thanks

• School of Education Disaster Preparedness and
  Persons with Disabilities

• Schools Communities Coming Together Project

The Division of Educational Research Service
The University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812-6336
www.dersum.org 1-800-637-4833
Mike Fredrickson, DERS with thanks to Amy
Foster-Wolferman (DERS) Bernadine Gantert
(Disability Services)
This presentation is supported by the Schools and
Communities Coming Together Project at the
Division of Educational Research and Service, The
University of Montana and federal grants
2003CKWX0274 and 2004CKWX0377 from the Community
Oriented Policing Services Office, U.S.
Department of Justice. However, no official
university or federal endorsement should be
inferred.
2
Introduction

• Executive Order 13347
• President Bush issued an executive order on July
  22, 2004, entitled
• Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency
  Preparedness. This
• executive order is intended to ensure that the
  Federal
• Government appropriately supports safety and
  security for individuals
• with disabilities in situations involving
  disasters, including
• earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, floods,
  hurricanes, and acts of
• terrorism.... and Federal agencies are to
  consider the needs of individuals
• with disabilities in their emergency plans to
  encourage this
• consideration in state, local, and tribal
  governments and private
• Organization emergency planning.
• Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report to
  Congress, July 21, 2005

3
Section 504 (Rehab Act)

• Section 504 states
• No otherwise qualified individual with a
  disability in the United States... shall, solely
  by reason of her or his disability, be excluded
  from participation in, be denied the benefits of,
  or be subjected to discrimination under any
  program, service or activity receiving Federal
  financial assistance.
• Section 504 of the American with Disabilities
  Act, 1973 (current reference Wayne State College,
  2006)
• www.wsc.edu

4
University of Montana

• The University of Montana is committed to the
  safety and security of its community. Members of
  the UM community must be prepared to protect the
  lives, property and educational framework that is
  The University of Montana
• George Dennison, President
• Emergency Operations Plan, January 2006, Section
  2, Page 5

5
Evacuation of persons with Disabilities

• Overview
• Generally, three disabilities (physically
  disabled, blind/partially sighted, and deaf/hard
  of hearing) are the most likely to become issues
  in case of an emergency. There may be, however, a
  need to consider other disabilities to include
  students with severe communications challenges
  such as Aspergers, or individuals with seizure
  disorders.

6
Recommendations

• General Responsibility of The University Of
  Montana
• Know primary and secondary routes of evacuation
  and inform student with disabilities about the
  routes. Inform students that a two-way
  communications system is in place and encourage
  them to become knowledgeable about the two-way
  system.
• Provide an opportunity for students with
  disabilities to let individual instructors know
  about any special accommodations that may need.
• Know the designated area of rescue and have a
  means of communicating with emergency responders
  or 911 operators. Inform them that you have a
  person with a physical disability that needs to
  be evacuated (probably access to a cell phone)

7
Recommendations (cont)

• Know the marshalling areas (rally points) and
  communicate the importance of evacuating to those
  points with your students. If other students are
  assisting a person with a physically disability
  emphasize the importance of going to that area so
  no one returns to the building to try and rescue
  the individual.
• As part of pre-planning remind students that
  elevators are not to be used during emergency
  evacuations (exceptions?)

8
Specific Recommendations for persons who are
blind or have low vision or are deaf or hard of
hearing

• In addition to the general instruction, blind/low
  vision and deaf/hard of hearing students should
  know what sights/sounds will occur in specific
  emergencies (flashing lights, sirens, etc.)
• They should also know what specific directions
  faculty will give in emergencies (e.g. we have
  had a bomb threat please move quickly to the
  nearest exit or area of rescue (elevator would
  not be a good option in a bomb threat).
• Again, the best plan is to have the student
  arrange to make him/herself safe in an emergency
  (peer assistance for example)

9
Persons with Physical Disabilities

• Individuals in wheel chairs or those with limited
  mobility may be challenges by basement or second
  story or higher locations. In many cases
  elevators are not in use, or there is a
  recommendation not to use them.
• A second challenge is to negotiate objects
  (chairs, tables, backpacks, etc) and other people
  in emergency situations.
• A third challenge is the speed at which they can
  exit a structure.

10
Specific Recommendations for persons with
physical disabilities

• If a student has limited mobility it is
  recommended that the faculty member provide the
  opportunity for the student to visit with them in
  private and discuss evacuation. The discussion
  should include feedback from the student about
  their experience with evacuation and how they
  prefer to be evacuated. The best plan is the one
  where the student understands what and where
  he/she needs to do and go to be safe.
• The student with limited mobility should be made
  aware that there is an area of rescue, and a
  communications system is in place. The area of
  rescue is close to an accessible exit stairway.
• Acquisition of a cell phone would be a good
  suggestion. All students should be reminded not
  to use cell phones if the emergency is a bomb
  threat.

11
Specific Recommendations for persons with
physical disabilities

• A two person cradle evacuation for a person not
  in a chair but unable to negotiate steps.
• Suggestions could include a four point (or four
  person) evacuation down stairs for a person in a
  wheel chair.
• Since these are college students, it is
  appropriate for the student to acquire the
  volunteers. Ideally, faculty member
  responsibility is to ask the student if they have
  a plan in place for evacuation.

12
Specific Recommendations (cont)

• When faculty review their classroom environments
  they should consider the following
• Are backpacks out of walkways and are the isles
  clear for an orderly evacuation?
• Have I suggested to the student that they locate
  her/himself close to an exit? (This could
  facilitate a quicker evacuation)

13
SOE 3rd Floor Area of Rescue
Intercoms on 2nd And 3rd Floors
14
2nd Floor Area of Rescue
Intercom
15
1st floor alarm intercom for area of rescue
Is someone assigned to this in case of an
emergency?
16
East end exit of the building
Has exit ramps and automatic doors Is
immediately below elevator and intercom Is
immediately below area of rescue
17
Marshalling area (rally point)

• Where is your marshalling area?
• Where is the backup marshalling area if the
  primary one is not accessible or safe?
• Note Adams Field House may be a consideration
  (inside during inclement weather and reasonably
  close to primary (area of rescue exit)

18
Aspergers and seizure disorders

• Students with Aspergers and seizure disorders
  attend college. Much like other disabilities
  (learning disabled and emotionally disturbed)
  they are hidden and not recognized easily. It is
  important in the pre-planning to let students
  know that they can schedule a meeting with you if
  they have any conditions or circumstances that
  may prevent them from safely evacuating the
  building.
• You may have to be prepared to inform first
  responders that an individual needs help and is
  not in the area of rescue, but is located in the
  classroom hall or adjacent room (example)

19
Additional Information and Resources

• The University of Montanas Emergency Operations
  Plan, pages 13 and 14
• The University of Montanas Telephone Directory
  (2006-07) pages 136-137
• Disability Services-Phone 2373 (Jim Marks
  staff)
• DERS-Phone 4973 (Rick van den Pol staff)

20
Questions?

• Thank you!!