Fire Safety for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

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Fire Safety for Individuals with Developmental
Disabilities
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• Fire Safety for Individuals with
• Developmental Disabilities

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These are issues that may arise when planning for
and carrying out fire evacuation actions

• Consumer
• Operational
• Physical Plant

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Consumer

• Consumers may resist or refuse to evacuate
• Consumers may attempt to wander back into house

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• Consumers may be difficult to arouse from sleep
• Age or frailty of consumers may make evacuation
  more difficult
• Behaviors of consumers may make evacuation more
  difficult

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• Consumers might need more intervention than fire
  evacuation skill capability assessments indicate
• Consumers might require bed shakers to respond to
  alarm

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• Consumers and staff do not use closest exit
• Consumers and staff do not assemble at safe area
  outside house

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• Weather can cause reluctance to exit or
  discomfort while outside
• Consumers do not appear to be well drilled in
  fire evacuation routines

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Operational

• Evacuation plans must be clearly written
• New admissions must have accurate fire safety
  skill capability assessments

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• Evacuation plans may need updating to change
  order of evacuation as consumer needs change
• Drill must meet evacuation times
• Staffing must be adequate to follow evacuation
  plan successfully

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• Staff have to be properly trained and up to date
  in evacuation plans
• If a drill evacuation time is notably different
  than previous drills this should be examined

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Physical Plant

• Life Safety Codes features should conform to the
  homes code classification
• There needs to be adequate outside lighting to
  proceed safely to assembly points

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• There should be no obstructions/impediments in
  paths of exit
• Fire safety building features must operate
  properly
• Exterior walkways must be even and without
  impediment to assembly point

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STRENGTHS

• Almost all drills were well within evacuation
  time requirements
• Staff appeared to know drill routines
• Consumers appeared to know drill routines