Learn How to Keep Vulnerable People Safe During an Emergency

An emergency can arrive rapidly and with devasting consequences. For example, a fire can quickly wreak havoc in your home. Likewise, a flood, blackout, thunderstorm, a windstorm can also be dangerous.

If you’re living with aging parents or any other type of vulnerable people, then you need to take various precautions. One of your best options is to purchase an evacuation stair chair for a multistoried home.

Our chairs are easily trainable and can mean the difference between life and death for the following people in an emergency:

• People with reduced mobility
• The elderly
• The physically disabled
• People with medical conditions
• Pregnant women
• The blind
• People with temporary injuries
• Anyone uncomfortable using the stairs

Remember, people with disabilities and reduced mobility are at greater risk of injury or death in the event of a fire, according to various studies. 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.

Besides fires, our products are critical tools in the following types of emergencies:

• Power failure
• Flood
• Earthquake
• Emergency drill
• Tornado
• Wildfire

With Evacuscape, you have two key evacuation chair options to choose from:

EC1

This chair weighs 12.5 kg (27.5lbs) and supports up to 180 kg (400 lbs). It carries 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, a detachable front carry handle, a fail-safe braking system, and a five-point harness and head restraint strap.

Compare our chairs to products from our competitors, which are heavier, more expensive, and may lack features such as the emergency under seat light, foldable front carry handle, five-point harness, and our patented track braking system. Not only do we offer more features, but we offer better value. You can quickly learn about our chairs by visiting our website or connecting with us on our Facebook page for more information.

Legal Obligations

Remember, if you’re an employer or own a building, then you may be legally obligated to improve safety for vulnerable people in your building. Our chairs follow legislation, such as Section 125 of the Canada Labour Code, Part II.

If you’re in Canada, you can read the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s guide for building managers and occupants on evacuating people who need assistance in an emergency. In the United States, please refer to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 2010 or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Making Homes Safer

Aside from installing evacuation chairs strategically in your home or building, you can take several other steps to make homes safer for seniors and other at-risk people during emergencies.

Develop an Escape Plan

Develop an escape plan that takes into account vulnerable members of the household. Talk freely about the escape plan to make sure everyone is on board. You must be prepared for anything. For example, keep torches, emergency lights, backup phone charges, canned food, and more in case you need to shelter in place due to a prolonged blackout.

Always keep your car’s gas tank at least half full in case you need to evacuate. Carry a physical map to navigate should your cellphones run out of power.

Install Working Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Ensure that there are working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors placed throughout the home, especially in vulnerable spots such as hallways, bedrooms, kitchens and more. Have these detectors checked regularly and encourage the building residents to do the same. These vital tools can make a big difference during a fire. Keep in mind that it is the landlord’s legal duty to have these devices installed in many provinces.

Invest in Emergency Tools

Have essential tools such as escape chairs, fire extinguishers, fire axes, shovels, fire blankets, sand buckets at easily accessible and critical points throughout the home.

Invest Time in Training

It’s not enough to have emergency tools. You must know how to use them, and every member of the house must know how to play their role. Remember, our evacuation chairs are easy to learn. You can watch the training DVD that comes with the chairs or videos on our website.

Here is how to use our products over flat surfaces:

• Take off the cover and remove the Evacuscape chair from the wall-mounted bracket or storage position
• Undo the seatbelt to lower the seat
• Push the seat down until it is fully deployed
• Pull the rear wheels out until they lock
• Pull out the adjustable pins and lift the handle until it locks

To change from transit mode to descent mode, change your hand position from top grip to mid grip, tilt the evacuation chair forward until it stops, push the rear wheel forward until it folds into the frame. Now, you can move the chair confidently down the first steps so that the track grips the edge of the stairs. Once you are down the stairs, pull out the rear wheels to convert the chair back into transit mode. When you’re done, you can fold and store the chair easily and conveniently.

Aside from emergencies, there are several steps you can take to make homes safer for the elderly and other people with reduced mobility. For one, you should ensure that all bulbs in the house are operational and bright. Replace grimy old fixtures with new ones that are clearer. Visit the home at different hours of the day to assess the lighting.

It would help if you also reduced clutter and other fall hazards. Throw away magazines, newspapers, and other items that crowd the floor. Give way unnecessary furniture. Ensure that the home’s surface is slip-resistant. You may even have to give way rugs because many people with reduced mobility can slip on them.

With the right precautions, education, and tools, you can ensure that any home is a safe space for people with reduced mobility, especially during emergencies.