What to Look for When Purchasing an Evacuation Chair

Evacuation chairs, or stair chairs, are essential equipment for emergencies because they allow a single person to assist anyone with mobility issues in descending a stairway. For this reason, more building owners and managers are realizing the importance of purchasing an escape chair to keep readily available on their property for use at all times.

Why Buy an Evacuation Chair?

There is a wide range of circumstances that might necessitate the use of an evacuation chair. For example, it may be the case that someone requires assistance in the case of an evacuation scenario or the issue is as straightforward as an elevator or escalator that is too crowded or out of service. In any instance, when there is no other way for someone to exit a building but by using a stairway, and they require assistance to do so, an evacuation chair is required.

When the Stakes Go Up

In the case of disaster situations or any emergency, the ability to exit a building on time and properly follow the stages of evacuation could become a vital matter of safety for everyone inside. In this case, you don’t want to leave anyone behind on account of being unable to help them exit on your own – primarily when equipment exists that could easily prevent this situation from occurring. Purchasing a stair chair in advance will ensure that this situation never needs to occur and that everyone inside a building can exit before emergency workers arrive on the scene.

Thinking Ahead

While it is evident that property owners should equip any building where people with mobility issues live or frequently visit with safety precautions that could prove essential, they should consider this the only reason to buy an evacuation chair.

For example, there are many examples of medical conditions that might cause someone to unexpectedly lose the ability to descend stairs on their own. Likewise, where disasters occur, a person’s chances of injury that could cause immobility will go up. That’s part of the reason that we at Evacuscape consider it essential that a stair chair be readily available for use in any building that contains stairways.

It isn’t currently required by emergency evacuation laws that every building with a stairway contains an emergency evacuation chair. Still, common sense dictates that any opportunity to implement a device that can save lives should be taken advantage of.

Options in Evacuation Chairs

When you’re deciding on the right evacuation chair for your needs, the first thing you should do is to become familiar with the different models available to purchase. At Evacuscape, we offer two different models of stair chairs designed to meet different needs:

• EC1
• EC2

Both of these models are designed with safety and reliability in mind, so they can each perform their primary emergency function of allowing a single person to assist another in descending a stairway effectively, and are capable of supporting the same amount of weight. The critical difference between the two is that the EC2 also includes the following convenient features:

• Detachable Front Carry Handle
• Failsafe Braking System
• 5 Point Harness and Head Restraint Strap

Deciding on which model you want to buy will depend on your particular building size and its needs. That said, there are a few other features to consider when you are purchasing an evacuation chair that may help influence your decision.

Durability

As a life-saving device, you need to ensure that your evacuation chair manufacturer offers equipment that can withstand the demands of emergencies. Such a device represents a significant purchase, so you want to be sure it will be durable enough to stand the test of time without putting people’s lives at risk.

Portability

Like any emergency device, your evacuation chair should be able to be easily stored for continued use. It should also be portable enough to allow a single person to carry it wherever required in your building. If you expect to require more portability for your building, you might be interested in the detachable front carry handle that comes equipped on the EC2 model.

That said, depending on the size of the building, it could be a good idea to purchase two or more evacuation chairs. Part of the reason these devices are used is to decrease the time it takes to evacuate someone from a building.

When you consider the safety of tenants in a building that contains multiple floors, it becomes apparent that it might take too long to transport a single stair chair to those who need it. The best option, in this case, is to place several emergency evacuation chairs in strategic locations throughout a building to ensure that everyone is covered.

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Cost

While no one can put a price on saving lives, the fact that life-saving equipment costs money to produce is unavailable. That said, a price factor also shouldn’t prevent you from being able to implement essential equipment. You should be able to get an evacuation chair price that is competitive within the industry. That is part of the reason why we offer two different safe and reliable models to accommodate different budget concerns.

Ease of Use

Since this type of equipment requires an extra person to operate, its functioning must be intuitive and straightforward for anyone to grasp, even in the direst of circumstances. Evacuation chairs are easy to operate, but learning how they function before an emergency occurs will help you remain calm and composed in a dire situation.

If you are purchasing your evacuation chair for the first time, don’t just stick it in your building in the hope that no situation will arise where it will be used. Familiarize yourself with how the evacuation chair functions and take these precautions as seriously as any safety protocols you follow for your building.

Those with mobility challenges represent a significant percentage of any population, and everyone deserves the right to safety when emergencies occur. Be sure to equip your building with an evacuation chair to ensure that people living on all floors are covered.