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

  • Pittsburgh High School Upgrades Athletics Facilities’ Technology

    Plum Senior High School in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently partnered with South-Dakota-based Daktronics through the We’re All Mustangs Here Foundation to upgrade the technology in its athletics facilities, according to a news release. Daktronics designed, built, and installed new LED video displays and finished the project in time for the beginning of the 2025 high-school football season.

  • Florida SouthWestern State College, Skanska Partner for Humanities Hall Renovation

    Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) in Fort Myers, Fla., recently announced that it is partnering with construction firm Skanska to renovate the school’s Humanities Hall, according to a news release.

  • Creating Long-Term Sustainability on College Campuses Through Fair Student Housing

    The quality of student housing can have a significant impact on an individual’s college experience. Today’s higher education institutions face mounting challenges, including declining enrollment, low retention rates between the first and second years, and a rise in student mental health concerns. Thoughtfully designed living spaces can help address these issues by creating environments that promote both academic focus and personal well-being.

  • Empowering People Through Smart, Sustainable Campuses

    Sustainability is facing increasing scrutiny, with some questioning its costs and priorities. Yet for universities, it remains an essential driver of resilience, operational efficiency and long-term competitiveness. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that sustainable transformation is not just about reducing energy consumption and emissions to comply with tightening regulations ‒ it’s about creating vibrant, comfortable environments where people can thrive, innovate and connect. For university leadership, this is a complex balancing act, with rising energy costs and limited budgets only adding to the challenge.

Digital Edition