Evacuation of Mobility Impaired

Excerpts from COD Emergency Response Plan

In cases of emergencies, those individuals with mobility impairments, who are not on the ground floor, may need assistance with building evacuation.

Ambulatory Individuals

Ambulatory individuals are those with disabilities that might impair rapid building evacuation. Examples include those who are blind or deaf, or whose mobility is restricted by use of walkers or crutches. Assistance to ambulatory individuals can be provided by guiding them to a stairwell, waiting until a clear passage is established and helping them down or up the stairs to the designated meeting area.

Non-Ambulatory Individuals

Non-ambulatory individuals are those with disabilities that require the use of wheelchairs. To assist those individuals, proceed as follows:

In Glen Ellyn call the Public Safety Police at ext. 2000. Provide as much information as possible. Most importantly, provide the individual’s location.
Move the impaired individual near the stairwell and await assistance if there is no immediate danger within the vicinity of the stairs.
If the hazard becomes life-threatening, move the individual into a room and close the door. If evacuation is deemed necessary, attempt to gain volunteer assistance and proceed to evacuate by way of the established route. Inform the Public Safety Police immediately of the individual’s new location.
If the entire campus needs immediate evacuation, there will be a lag time for some handicap individuals to arraign for immediate transportation. These individuals should be relocated to a single location until arrangements can be made for their transportation off campus. Pre-determined employees will handle this responsibility.

For an on site location:

Handicap individuals should be relocated to the first floor foyer of the Harold D. McAninch Arts Center.

For an off site location:

Handicap individuals should be relocated with use of campus fleet vehicles to St. James Apostle Church, 480 Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn. If the facility is not open at the time, college fleet buses can be used as temporary shelter for those in need.

NOTE: In the case of fire or other emergency situations that might affect electricity, DO NOT USE ELEVATORS for evacuation.