Evacuation Criteria
Additional Procedures for Persons with Disabilities
The following document outlines procedures for alerting, evacuating, or sheltering persons with disabilities located on campus during an emergency. Every member of the University community has a responsibility to facilitate the safe evacuation and sheltering of persons with disabilities by adhering to the following guidelines.
The University recognizes that individuals with disabilities may require assistance with alerting, evacuating, and sheltering in the event of an emergency. The University therefore asks all individuals, including those with disabilities, who may need assistance in an emergency to identify themselves to the University. Once an individual has self-identified, the University will work with the individual to develop a Personal Emergency Plan that includes specific evacuating and sheltering procedures and means of communication in the event of an emergency. The University is also committed to training its employees to identify and assist persons who may need assistance in an emergency.
This document contains the following guidance:
- Self-Identification with the University;
- Personal Emergency Plans;
- Communication and Alerting Procedures;
- Evacuation Procedures;
- Further Guidance for Persons with Disabilities;
- Confidentiality Statement; and
- Contact Information and Emergency Numbers.
Self-Identification with the University
Twice a year, the University will ask all faculty, students, and staff if they will require assistance in an emergency. Self-identification is voluntary; the purpose of the request is to assemble information to assist in alerting, evacuating, or sheltering individuals in case of an emergency.
Individuals who believe that they may need assistance during an emergency should complete the confidential Self-Identification Questionnaire. The questionnaire is available on the University disabilities Web site at http://provost.uchicago.edu/initiatives/disabilities.shtml and on the Safety Office Web site at http://safety.uchicago.edu/4_6appendixa.pdf. The Office of Safety and Environmental Affairs (OSEA) and the Office of the Vice-President and Dean of Students (VPDOS) can also help individuals locate the questionnaire and address questions that arise when completing the form.
Any individual requiring assistance will update their self-identification information as follows:
- annually, no later than January 31, of each calendar year; or
- whenever circumstances warrant an update (e.g., there have been changes in his/her condition that would require a change in assistance).
In addition to submitting a Self-Identification Questionnaire, any employee or student needing assistance may also voluntarily provide information to anyone within the University community about his/her need for assistance during an emergency. However, such notification is not intended to be a substitute for proper identification using the Self-Identification Questionnaire. Supervisors may also ask an employee who has self-identified as disabled if he/she will require assistance in the event of an emergency.
Employees: Faculty, other academic personnel, and staff should return the Self-Identification Questionnaire to:
Director of Safety and Environmental Affairs
5555 South Ellis Avenue, Second Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60637
Telephone: 773-702-9999
Fax: 773-702-6546
Students: Students should return the Self-Identification Questionnaire to:
Assistant Dean of Students for Student Affairs
5801 South Ellis Avenue, Room 222
Chicago, Illinois 60637
Telephone: 773-834-9710
Fax: 773-702-4357
Once a student submits a questionnaire, the Assistant Dean of Students for Student Affairs will notify the Director of OSEA and the appropriate area Dean of Students. If the student resides in University housing, the Assistant Dean of Students for Student Affairs will also inform the Director of Undergraduate Student Housing, Associate Director of Real Estate Operations, or the Director of International House, as appropriate.
Personal Emergency Plans
Once an individual submits a Self-Identification Questionnaire, OSEA will work with the individual, his/her supervisor, resident assistant (if applicable), and the relevant building manager(s) to develop a Personal Emergency Plan for assisting that individual in evacuating or sheltering-in-place in case of an emergency. This plan will include:
- identifying the safest area located on each floor within the building to which a person with disabilities can be moved or directed to await assistance from emergency response personnel; and
- designating a means to inform emergency response personnel (Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department, UCPD) of the locations of any person(s) requiring assistance.
This Personal Emergency Plan will be incorporated into the Fire Department Information Centers (see below) for each building that the individual is reasonably expected to routinely occupy (e.g., classroom, dormitory, library).
Rescue Assistants
Further, as part of the Personal Emergency Plan process, the University will ask the individual with disabilities to identify at least two Rescue Assistants who are capable of offering assistance in evacuating during an emergency. A Rescue Assistant should be someone who is likely to be in a building during the same time frame as the individual, but not necessarily in the same area. A Rescue Assistant can be a co-worker or student; in either case, it is recommended that that the Rescue Assistant is a friend. An employee’s department or the appropriate Dean of Students is available to assist individuals in identifying Rescue Assistants.
OSEA will provide Rescue Assistants and other Personal Emergency Plan participants (e.g.,UCPD, resident assistants) with the following training:
- contents of this policy and procedure;
- fire safety procedures;
- how to assess surroundings in an emergency;
- how to assist the individual with a disability without causing injury, should the need to move him/her physically becomes necessary;
- how to communicate with the individual; and
- understanding what equipment needs to be evacuated with the person with a disability or where backup supplies, such as wheelchairs or oxygen, can be obtained.
Communication and Alerting Procedures
Before an Emergency Occurs: The University recommends all University faculty, students, and employees to register with cAlert, the University’s electronic emergency-notification system. This system enables University officials to reach members of the University community by rapidly transmitting short notifications by e-mail to any outside e-mail address, by text message to a cell phone, by fax, or by voice message to an off-campus telephone or cell phone. Faculty, students, and staff that have not yet done so are encouraged to visit http://calert.uchicago.edu as soon as possible to enter contact information.
It is particularly important that individuals who require a non-auditory alert submit a Self-Identification Questionnaire and sign up for cAlert. Individuals with hearing impairments who reside in campus housing are also urged to self-identify for the purpose of securing visual alarms to provide an alert in the event of an emergency.
Any person with a disability who will need assistance during an emergency evacuation and might be in a building after regular work hours or at times when others are not usually present should also strongly consider notifying the University Police Department (UCPD) of their location and providing the building, floor, room, and times of arrival and departure.
During an Emergency: Individuals with communication disabilities may be unable to obtain necessary evacuation information from standard auditory fire alarms or public address systems. As a consequence, hearing and visually impaired individuals may need to be alerted and given further instruction in emergency situations by Rescue Assistants or others. Nearby Rescue Assistants, faculty, staff, or students should also offer assistance to visually impaired individuals who may need help negotiating unfamiliar routes during an emergency evacuation.
During an emergency, the Chicago Fire Department and the University Police Department (UCPD) will attempt to check all locations, including restrooms, to communicate the need to evacuate.
If forced to stay in place during an emergency, a person with a disability should try to call UCPD (773-702-8181, or 123 on campus telephones) to notify them of his/her location, in addition to asking others who are evacuating to alert UCPD. UCPD will then dispatch a police officer to the location to assist in the evacuation (the person with disabilities should stay on the line with the dispatcher while waiting for UCPD to arrive).
It is strongly recommended that persons with disabilities acquire additional alerting devices to draw attention to them during an emergency. Cell phones, pagers, and loud whistles are effective tools for drawing attention or for contacting emergency personnel.
Evacuation Procedures
The University expects that the Personal Emergency Plans will serve as the first line of defense to ensure the safety of individuals with disabilities. The following provides further guidance for emergency procedures for persons with disabilities; however, this information is not meant to replace the proper planning and training included in a Personal Emergency Plan.
University procedures require all persons, including those with disabilities, to evacuate a facility any time the fire alarm system is activated or otherwise instructed to do so. Depending upon the facility and type of disability at issue, a person with disabilities may have the following evacuation options:
- horizontal evacuation (e.g., going from one building into a connected, adjacent building on the same level);
- vertical (or stairway) evacuation;
- proceeding to an Area of Rescue Assistance or Priority Rescue Area to await evacuation; or
- staying in place to await evacuation (e.g., in an office or classroom).
Note: Elevators are never to be used in the event of a fire without explicit authorization by fire or police personnel. Further, stairway evacuations of individuals who use wheelchairs may be hazardous to disabled individuals, rescuers, and others attempting to evacuate and should not be attempted by untrained personnel. Individuals with mobility impairments who are able to walk independently or with assistance may be able to negotiate stairs; however, if danger is imminent the individual should wait until heavy traffic has cleared before attempting the stairs.
Move to an Area of Rescue Assistance or Priority Rescue Area: Individuals with mobility impairments may not be able to exit a building without help from fire, police, or other emergency personnel. Persons who are unable to evacuate should await evacuation assistance in designated rescue locations, such as an Area of Rescue Assistance or Priority Rescue Area:
Area of Rescue Assistance: Certain newer University facilities contain Areas of Rescue Assistance. These Areas of Rescue Assistance are clearly marked by appropriate signage and are typically found in a stairwell or in an area immediately adjacent to a stairwell. Areas of Rescue Assistance are equipped with a telephone and one-hour fire-rated assembly (e.g., fire-rated door, walls, ceiling).
Priority Rescue Areas: Older buildings (constructed before the 1990s) usually will not have Areas of Rescue Assistance. However, the University will designate Priority Rescue Areas in these buildings that are identified to rescue personnel as likely areas for individuals to be found in the event they are unable to evacuate a building. Priority Rescue Areas are clearly marked and are generally located in a stairwell or in an area immediately adjacent to a stairwell.
Individuals who have self-identified will be notified of any Areas of Rescue Assistance or Priority Rescue Areas in buildings they may occupy or frequent, and they should acquaint themselves with the locations of these areas in other campus buildings. A master list of Areas of Rescue Assistance and Priority Rescue Areas will be located in the Fire Department Information Center in the lobby of each building and online at http://safety.uchicago.edu. OSEA can also be consulted about the locations of Priority Rescue Areas in each building and will update this information annually or as needed.
Stay in Place: In circumstances where evacuation is not possible and removal to an Area of Rescue Assistance or Priority Rescue Area is not practical (e.g., if a pathway is impeded), it is recommended that a person with a disability stay in place (e.g., in their office or dormitory room). It is the responsibility of every member of the University community to immediately communicate to UCPD and emergency personnel the location of individuals who are unable to evacuate. In addition, the person with disabilities should be reminded to telephone UCPD immediately to further ensure that on-site emergency personnel will receive the information as soon as possible.
Further Guidance for Persons with Disabilities
The Role of the University Police Department and the Chicago Fire Department: The University Police Department (UCPD) and the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) are the first responders to all campus emergencies, including those requiring evacuation. The UCPD and CFD will enter a building during an emergency to facilitate the safe evacuation of all occupants. If possible, the UCPD and CFD will conduct floor-by-floor searches to locate individuals who are unable to exit the building safely, including a search of all Areas of Rescue Assistance and Priority Rescue Areas. UCPD will serve as the primary point of contact for responding University emergency personnel. All Rescue Assistants and individuals with disabilities will contact UCPD to report on the evacuation status and location of an individual with a disability so that UCPD can relay this information to emergency personnel.
Training: All University employees are required to undergo Fire Safety and Evacuation training at hire and on an annual basis thereafter. Students receive Fire Safety and Evacuation information during orientation, and students living in the University House System also participate in fire drills.
The University will also train UCPD, Rescue Assistants, supervisors, and facility managers in identifying and assisting persons who may need assistance in an emergency and the location of designated rescue locations.
Practice will instill confidence in one’s ability to cope in an emergency. It will also do more than anything else to assure that appropriate lifesaving actions will be taken during a real emergency. Practice consists of walk-through procedures, announced drills, and/or surprise drills.
Fire Department Information Centers: Each building on campus is equipped with a Fire Department Information Center (FDIC). The FDIC contains an emergency pre-plan, which provides details regarding the physical aspects of the building, impediments to evacuation, and floor plans. The OSEA will ensure that the FDIC also contains the Personal Emergency Plans (including names, room numbers, and contact information) for persons in that building who have submitted a Self-Identification Questionnaire. The FDIC will be updated by OSEA as information changes.
Confidentiality Statement
The University is required by law to keep all medical information confidential. However, emergency and safety personnel and other University representatives may be informed if an individual with a disability might require help with alerting, evacuation, or sheltering during an emergency. The information shared with such personnel will be limited to information necessary to help alert, evacuate, or shelter the disabled individual during an emergency.
Contact Information and Emergency Numbers
| Police, Fire, and Ambulance Assistance | ||
| from any campus telephone | ...................123 | |
| from any non-campus telephone | ...................773-702-8181 | |
| University of Chicago Medical Center Security | 773-702-6262 Albert Merritt Billings WB050 5841 South Maryland Avenue |
|
| University of Chicago Safety and Environmental Affairs 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (24 Hour Duty Officer) |
773-702-9999 Young Memorial Building Second Floor 5555 South Ellis Avenue |
Coordinator for Students with Disabilities
Office of the Vice-President and Dean of Students in the University
Administration Building, Room 233
5801 South Ellis Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
773-834-4469
Assistant Dean of Students for Student Affairs
Office of the Vice-President and Dean of Students in the University
Administration Building, Room 222
5801 South Ellis Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
773-834-9710
