Helping elderly or mobility-impaired household members evacuate
Evacuation takes much longer than for a typical adult — settle routes and responsibilities in advance
01 What to do now
- 01
Advance preparation
Install interconnected residential fire alarms; plan an evacuation route and clear division of who helps whom in advance, write it down, and post it somewhere visible; build a support relationship with neighbors and your local community leader
- 02
During evacuation
Prioritize helping elderly and mobility-impaired members move — don't delay by grabbing belongings; if a wheelchair user can't use the emergency stairs, move them to a safe stairwell landing to wait for help and report their location; guide visually impaired people directly, and communicate with hearing-impaired people using gestures or writing
02 Common myths
Thinking there's no need to plan ahead, figuring it out will do when it happens: reaction time is already longer than average, and improvising wastes precious escape time
Insisting on using the normal stairs during evacuation: prioritize the nearest safe exit instead