Emergency Evacuation Suggestions for Individuals with Disabilities (Non-HQ)

1. Meet with your Agency or Branch Safety Officer to discuss specific issues related to your disability and emergency evacuation procedures.
2. Review your building Occupant Emergency Plan (OEP) with your Safety Officer. For copies of the Washington, D.C. metro area occupant emergency plans, go to http://www.usda.gov/da/hqoperations/
3. Know where the nearest exit, fire alarm manual station and fire extinguisher are located.
4. If you have a cell phone or pager, keep it with you as often as possible.

Employees with vision disabilities:

• People who are blind or visually impaired need to know an evacuation route in time of emergency. It is good to learn at least one alternate route, just in case.
• If the "buddy" system is used, the buddy should be someone familiar with the person with a disability, specifically knowing how to provide guiding assistance and they should be familiar with the guide dog or other service animal. Additionally, back-up buddies should be recruited and trained.
• "Buddies" should go to the agreed meeting place to look for the employee with a disability. If the employee is not found, the buddy should then immediately vacate the building.
• Twice a year, it is good to practice leaving the building by at least one of the emergency evacuation routes. This improves familiarity of the evacuation procedures and routes for the employee, their service animals and the buddy(s).
• Service animals: If the alarm is sounded, employees with service animals should always leave the building - if they don't, their service animals will learn to disregard the alarms. Additionally, never let go of your service animal.

Employees with hearing disabilities:

• Employees who are deaf or hard of hearing have three options available: (1) have a strobe light mounted in their work area; (2) use the USDA supplied pagers (headquarters only) for early notification; or (3) develop a buddy system.
• If the employee is leaving their assigned work area for an extended time, i.e., for training or conference/meeting attendance, a temporary buddy should be established.

Employees with mobility disabilities:

• If Evacu-track chairs are available for use within your facility, wheelchair users and trained team members should know the location of the nearest Evacu-track chair. If during an emergency team members cannot immediately locate the affected employee, they should evacuate the building. NOTE: Evacu-track chairs are slow and can be dangerous if used by individuals who are not trained in their use. Training on proper Evacu-Track chairs should be conducted with each team member at least twice per year.
• In the event of an extreme emergency, employees using wheelchairs and scooters should consider alternative evacuations, including being picked-up and carried out of the building. When circumstances necessitate separating the user and the wheelchair, keep the period of separation to a minimum. Sufficient helpers to carry both the user and the wheelchair/scooter must be available to use this procedure. When more than one flight of stairs is traversed, helpers may need to switch positions since one person may be doing most of the lifting. Switch positions only on a level landing areas. When the lifting is complete, follow the instructions of the wheelchair's user and restore the manual or motorized wheelchair to full operation; then assist the user to a safe area.

Employees with mental/cognitive disabilities:

• Review evacuation plans with your Agency or Branch Safety Officer.
• Ask the safety monitors or members of the Emergency Team for assistance.
• Regularly review your evacuation plans with your buddy(s) and supervisor.