The safety of individuals with disabilities is a shared responsibility. The College has implemented procedures to assist individuals with disabilities during an emergency. Likewise, individuals with disabilities should create a personal emergency plan which addresses their specific needs before and during an evacuation.
Development of a Personal Emergency Plan - The development of a personal emergency plan should include the following steps:
- Step 1: Register
Students with disabilities who need assistance should register with a campus office of Disability Support Services (DSS) regarding the nature of assistance they will specifically need during an emergency. Employees requiring assistance should register with the office of Human Resources Disability Services Coordinator for Faculty and Staff regarding the nature of assistance they will specifically need during an emergency.
- Step 2: Develop Personal Evacuation Instructions
Assistance required during an evacuation should be written down on a card and carried by the individual with disabilities at all times. The card should instruct others on the best ways to assist and the number of persons needed to assist.
- Step 3: Develop a “Buddy System”
A student with disabilities should prepare for emergencies in advance by establishing a primary and an alternate “buddy” for each class. An employee with disabilities should prepare for emergencies in advance by establishing a primary and an alternate “buddy” at their office locations. A “buddy” can be a classmate, instructor, supervisor, or co-worker. An individual’s personal evacuation instructions should be shared with their primary and alternate “buddies”.
A “buddy” will assist individuals with disabilities to an evacuation area outside the building or to a safer area within a building (e.g. stair landing, room away from imminent danger, another building wing, or opposite end of corridor). In addition to a “buddy”, a second person should immediately notify emergency personnel where an individual is located. Police or Fire/Rescue personnel will decide if the individual is safe at that location or evacuate the individual as necessary. A “buddy” should stay with the individual until the emergency is over.
If an individual with disabilities is alone during an emergency, the individual should contact the Office of Safety and Security and provide their current location. The Office of Safety and Security can be contacted by a cell phone, a campus emergency telephone, or an office telephone.
- Step 4: Know Your Environment
Become familiar with emergency exits, evacuation routes in campus buildings, and campus evacuation areas. Elevators are not to be used as an emergency exit unless instructed by emergency personnel. Determine the building exit nearest your classroom or office. In the event that this exit is blocked, be familiar with alternate exits.
- Step 5: Telephone Numbers
Disability Support Services for Students
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Coordinator for Faculty and Staff
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Germantown 240-567-7770
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Human Resources 240-567-5370
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Rockville 240-567-5058
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Takoma Park/SS 240-567-1480
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Guidelines for Assisting Individuals with Disabilities
If an individual wants to assist a person with a disability, always ask how you can help before giving assistance. The following guidelines should be used for assisting individuals with specific disabilities.
- Hearing Impaired
Individuals who are hearing impaired may not be able to distinguish audible warning alarms or respond to voice communications. Convey the need to communicate by turning the room lights on and off and indicate through hand gestures or by writing what is happening and where to go. Escort individuals during an evacuation as they may not be able to follow oral commands issued by authorities. Individuals who cannot speak loudly should carry a whistle or have other means for attracting attention of others.
- Mobility Disabilities
Individuals with a mobility disability should not be evacuated by untrained personnel unless the situation is life-threatening. If located on an upper floor, individuals may be assisted to a stairwell landing to await evacuation or further instructions from Fire/Rescue or Police. If individuals can walk with assistance, a “buddy” should assist and accompany the individual when descending the stairs.
- Visual Disabilities
Individuals with a visual disability may prefer to hold on to a sighted person’s elbow during an evacuation. If possible, someone should follow behind to protect the individual from being pushed down in the event of crowding.
Assisting Individuals with Disabilities
A copy of the above guidelines is available on the College web site and will be provided to new employees at orientation. Administrative aides in College departments will disseminate the guidelines to part-time faculty and temporary staff.
DSS staff from each campus will provide a list of students each semester to the Office of Safety and Security specifying classroom locations and class schedules for all students requesting assistance in an emergency evacuation, as well as the nature of their disability, i.e. wheelchair, walker, cane, blind, and etc. DSS will provide updates to the Office of Safety and Security as warranted.
The Office of Human Resources will provide the Office of Safety and Security a list of all employees requesting assistance in an emergency evacuation and the office locations of the employees. The Office of Human Resources will provide updates to the Office of Safety and Security as warranted.
The Office of Safety and Security will keep a copy of the lists provided by DSS and the Office of Human Resources in their Campus Emergency Information Guide and distribute copies to members of the Campus Response Team along with their CRT packs.
DSS will send a formal memo to all faculty and staff requesting that announcements, regarding procedures for individuals with disabilities, be made at the beginning of each semester class. Faculty should also put this notice in their syllabi asking those students that need assistance in an emergency to register with DSS or notify them directly.