F IREFIGHTER T RAINING AND F IRE & L IFE S AFETY PRESENTED BY M ARNIE P ETERS T HE G LOBAL A LLIANCE ON A CCESSIBLE T ECHNOLOGY AND E NVIRONMENTS (GAATES) 'Fire Safety for All' in Buildings 9-10 April 2015 Dublin, Ireland

GAATES The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments GAATES is the leading international organization dedicated to the promotion of accessibility of electronic and communication technologies and accessibility of the built environment.

W HAT A BOUT M E ? What is the Plan ???

D ON ’ T U SE T HE E LEVATOR !

A CCESS AND F IRE S AFETY Building owners and managers develop Fire Safety Plans that address the needs of Persons with Disabilities by asking them to wait at the top of stairs for rescue.

I C AN ’ T U SE THE S TAIRS !  Many codes and standards around the world fail to properly address the design and construction of SAFE firefighter elevators.  Still limited use of elevators for evacuation

F IRE S AFE E LEVATORS  Coming soon to a location near me ??  Elevators as INDEPENDENT means of evacuation

R OLE OF F IREFIGHTERS Assess the situation Ensure mass evacuation and verify buildings are empty ASSIST in evacuation of persons with activity limitations??

D EFINING D ISABILITY Disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; An activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; A participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations (World Health Organization).

W HY T RAIN F IREFIGHTERS ? Statistics for Disability & Fire Physical disability was identified as a contributing factor in an estimated average of 15% of U.S. home fire deaths per year during (NFPA) Elders with physical disabilities are more than twice as likely to be victims in home fire fatalities. 85 percent of victims were killed in single family homes.

W HY T RAIN F IREFIGHTERS ? Personal Preparedness 71 % of respondents have no personal preparedness plan for disasters 31 % always have someone to help them evacuate 13 % never have anyone to help them

4.4% for people aged % for those 25 to % for those 45 to % for those aged 65 to % over 75 has a disability D ISABILITY AND A GING

Physical Disability W HY T RAIN F IREFIGHTERS ? Limited movement of body parts (hands, feet, legs, joints) or complete loss of movement Common Examples: spinal cord injury, MS, Parkinson's, ALS, arthritis or a condition that restricts movement or complete loss of movement such as amputation Common Barriers: difficulty standing, walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, sitting

F IREFIGHTERS & P HYSICAL D ISABILITY Appropriate vs. Dangerous Lifts/Carries and Transfers Use of Assistive Evacuation Devices, Evacuation Chairs Assistive Devices Avoid touching without permission Follow individual's directions Wheelchair etiquette

T RAINING F IREFIGHTERS

Icebreaker and Myths & Facts Disability and Emergency – Statistics Disability Types & Emergency Response Disability Related Supports & Equipment Providing Assistance: Transfers & Guiding Scenarios Questions

T YPES OF D ISABILITIES Vision Cognitive Learning Mental Health Speaking Deaf/Hearing Physical

Self-Identification People First Language Avoid Victimizing /Patronizing Language A PPROPRIATE T ERMINOLOGY

OldNew The disabled/The handicappedPeople w disabilities, disability community Crippled, lame, suffers from, afflicted with, stricken with, victim of, invalid Has a disability, is a person with a disability Normal person, healthy, whole People w/o disabilities, able-bodied, person who is able to walk, etc. Wheelchair bound, confined or restricted to a wheelchair Person who uses a wheelchair Dumb, mutePerson who cannot speak SpasticPerson with cerebral palsy Crazy, maniac, lunatic, insane, nuts, deranged, psycho, demented People with mental illness, mental health disability Retard, mentally defective, moron, idiot, slow, feeble-minded Person with a cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disability R EMINDERS : A PPROPRIATE T ERMINOLOGY

A IDS & A SSISTIVE D EVICES  Assistive Devices:  Communication boards, evacuation chairs, etc.  Service Animals (Guide dogs, hearing ear, seizure dogs, mobility assist dogs, PTSD therapy dogs)  Support Persons  Signage Language interpreters, personal care support workers, guides, etc.

Guiding someone with vision loss H ANDS O N E XERCISES

Conditions that affect cognitive abilities Common Examples: Down’s Syndrome, Autism Spectrum, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Intoxicated persons: alcohol, drugs D EVELOPMENTAL /I NTELLECTUAL D ISABILITIES Be patient Provide one piece of information at a time Try to allow additional time Move away from distracting environments and to a quieter area

Disability Awareness On Thin Ice Cognitive/Learning Exercise: One nigth ther saw a firer in a builing one man saw very injure he was rushed to hositipal and theree day he diad for interle njres. One night there was a fire in a building. One man was very (badly) injured. He was rushed to hospital and after three days, he died of internal injuries.

Mental Health: Types of Mental Health Disabilities Mood Disorders: Depression, Bipolar Affective Disorder Anxiety Disorders: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), PTSD, OCD Thought Disorders: Schizophrenia, Borderline Personality Disorder Common Barriers: Heightened anxieties/fears/suspicions, difficulty concentrating

Speaking Disabilities: Restrictions in ability to communicate effectively through speech Common Examples: stutterers, some people with cerebral palsy, voice strength, fluency, aphasia, or voicelessness

Deaf / Hearing Disabilities: Any significant loss of hearing to total deafness Common Barriers: Hearing, hearing alarms, reading lips or no interpreter, English literacy

Communication without speaking Universal Signs

Exercise: Communicate without speaking

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