Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Planning For Evacuation

  • By Mark Roberts
  • 05/01/18

Keeping all of our children safe is paramount. When it comes to evacuating schools in the event of an emergency we need to be prepared to get everyone out safely. That is why emergency evacuation plans are vital. Extra precautions and considerations need to be taken to accommodate the individual needs of students or personnel with physical or sensory disabilities, and those who may lack understanding of a situation or be able to act quickly. Identifying and preventing risk is a crucial part of emergency planning and should never allow leaving anyone behind. Pre-planning for an emergency in a school is imperative in today’s world. School systems must have the capacity to move all persons with disabilities to a safe location immediately in any emergency situation.

Points to consider when planning

  • Clearly visible evacuation procedures
  • Consider mobility impaired and persons with sight/hearing impairment
  • Staff training in use of assistive equipment and procedures
  • Regular reviews, especially if the building has in any way been modified
  • Visitors will often be totally unfamiliar with the layout of your premises
  • Visitors share their needs upon entry

Schools should develop a plan to necessitate provisions and share the information with all people concerned. The school system has a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to keep their whole community safe in the event of an emergency.

Evacuation equipment solutions

  • Evacuation chairs provide a universal evacuation solution for smooth stairway descent during an emergency.
  • Evacuation sleds are designed to help evacuate non-ambulant people or people who may not be able to walk down stairs in an emergency.

To download a checklist, go to webspm.com.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management May 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Mark Roberts is vice president of Evac+Chair North America. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.