Keep the Following Items Handy in Case of an Emergency

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At Evacuscape, we have been making emergency chairs for many years serving customers in North America, Europe, and more. We got into the business of evacuation chairs because we believe every individual deserves to evacuate safely in an emergency.

We also realize that as the world climate changes alarmingly, humanity will face more challenges. Already, we’re facing more forest fires and floods than ever before in recorded history. The warmer temperatures also increase the risk of home fires, putting the following people with reduced mobility at greater risk:

  • The elderly
  • The physically disabled
  • People with medical conditions
  • Pregnant women
  • The blind
  • People with temporary injuries
  • Individuals uncomfortable using the stairs
  • And more

That’s why we offer the stair evacuation chair to people with reduced mobility in multistoried homes. These tools are easy to use, easily trainable, conveniently stored, safe, mobile, rich in features, and can help people evacuate in all types of emergencies.

Please remember that disabled and bedridden individuals account for 8% of all fire-related deaths and 2% of all fire-related injuries. In comparison, people over the age of 65 account for 18% of all fire-related deaths and 7% of all fire-related injuries in Canada.

Of course, you need more than an evacuation chair in an emergency. You also require an evacuation plan that accounts for different emergencies and also the strengths and limitations of people in your household.

Climate change has certainly increased the chances of facing some of the following emergencies:

  • Wildfire
  • House fire
  • Flood
  • Hurricane
  • Tornado
  • Blackouts
  • Outbreaks
  • Pandemics
  • Burglary
  • And more.

Credit: Pixabay via Pexels

To reduce your risk, enhance your evacuation preparedness — and improve your chances of survival, you need to have the following items, depending on the nature of the emergency:

  • Personal Protective Gear: We’re in the middle of a pandemic that should hopefully slow down with a successful vaccine rollout. However, there’s always a chance of another outbreak fueled by a more contagious and deadlier disease. Keeping personal protective gear handy like face masks, gloves, etc., is a good idea.
  • Cash: In an emergency like a flood or forest fire that requires you to leave town with your family, you should always have some cash handy in case you can’t pay with plastic for supplies.
  • Gas: Your car must always have at least half a tank of gas in case you need to rush to the nearest hospital or evacuate the town. Remember, the lines grow long at the gas station during an emergency.
  • Car Emergency Kit: Keep a first aid kit, road flairs, booster cables, and bottled water in your vehicle to keep it ready for any situation.
  • Documents: Keep a physical backup of your personal documents as well as a digital backup on the cloud for emergencies. You may not have time to gather your documents when you evacuate.
  • Fire Safety Items: Your home should have a working smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, fire extinguisher, and fire blankets.
  • Multitool: A good multitool comes in handy whether you’re at home or on the road during an emergency.
  • Electricity Generator: An electricity generator is a handy device at home, especially if your neighbourhood regularly experiences blackouts. A generator can be helpful in a prolonged blackout due to a flood or storm. At the very least, it can help you recharge your mobile phones.
  • Physical Map: Don’t rely solely on your mobile phone to navigate during an emergency. Networks can get busy or go down. Keep a physical map in your glove compartment for help.
  • Canned Food: Store some easy-to-open canned foods in your home for sustenance during an extended emergency. Additionally, keep extra baby and pet food to support the more vulnerable members of your household.

Of course, if you live in a multistoried house, townhouse, apartment, or condo, you must have one of our following evacuation chair models to support people with reduced mobility:

EC1: This chair weighs 12.5 kg (27.5lbs) and supports a weight of up to 180 kg (400 lbs). It’s equipped with an emergency under seat light, speed-reducing V belt track, lap safety belt and head restraint strap, solid padded seat and backrest and locking rear wheel castors. It also ships with a protective cover, wall bracket, and training DVD. It comes with a 10-year warranty for the frame and a one-year warranty for all the wheels, tracks, and braking components.

EC2: This model is slightly heavier but still lightweight at 14.5kg (32lbs). It includes all the features of the EC1, as well as a detachable front carry handle, a fail-safe braking system, and a five-point harness and head restraint strap.

Both of our chairs have the following features:

  • Require only one person to evacuate the evacuee safely
  • Light enough to be carried by anyone who is assisting someone with reduced mobility
  • Strong enough to take a person of up to 180 kg (400 lbs) safely down the stairs and can be used by a lightweight person to guide an evacuee heavier than themselves
  • Foldable into a compact size and can easily be stored in a convenient and accessible location via the wall-bracket system
  • Rubber tracks to reduce descent speed and won’t propel the evacuee forward
  • Sturdy construction and excellent design allows the chairs to be used as transit chairs

Please remember that such tools can also help building managers meet legislation. For example, Section 125 of the Canada Labour Code says the following:

Every employer shall, in respect of every work place controlled by the employer and, in respect of every work activity carried out by an employee in a work place that is not controlled by the employer, to the extent that the employer controls the activity,

  • (o) comply with prescribed standards relating to fire safety and emergency measures;
  • (p) ensure, in the prescribed manner, that employees have safe entry to, exit from and occupancy of the work place

Meanwhile, the country’s Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities and Special Needs states that every emergency plan should include evacuation chairs.

Going by these laws and guides, we believe our escape chairs should be in multistoried buildings because they make it possible for people with reduced mobility to exit in an emergency.

Without the right tools or plan, any emergency can be riskier. Ready yourself now with the right items, training, and procedures.

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