After just seeing the last post I think I should put mobility impaired person!??

I would like to know if anyone knows of a comprehensive course in the North East/Yorkshire that covers evacuation of disabled people. Specifically I would like to be able to train staff on the correct techniques for wheelchairs, wheelchair wheelies, 2 person lifts etc. Please don't go into moving and handling or manual handling I am aware of that what I'm not aware of is where the safe points to lift a wheelchair are and practical advise.

And also would like the correct protocol when evacuating elderly person's from a zone. for example do you empty the zone first of all able bodied people and then go back with your albac mat or whatever and evacuate the disabled person or do you get the disabled person into the evacuation aid first and then sweep together to the next zone?

Anyone know of a course?

Our fire service are the ones posing the question unfortunately.

Thank you MB1 I have everything in place including albacmats and how to get them in them. We do phased evacuation and have some really good training in place. But when I got down to the detail of the best way to evacuate a zone with a disabled person on it I really am stuck on the best way to do it.

The wheelchair scenario has come from a building where we may have to evacuate a member of the public upstairs or downstairs that may not fit into evac chairs that are used as a standard evac equipment. Obviously we can't have every different type of equipment waiting at the top of the stairs just in case so it makes sense to have alternative techniques.

Agree with Bob regarding PEEP, a member of the public I take it is regarded as likely to be a friend/relative of a resident?

Carrying wheelchairs up/down flights of stairs with people inside could entail many risks that would only be considered in an obvious no alternative means with immediate life safety only in mind!

I understand where you are coming from with this.

I do have reservations in giving residents the right to choose how they wish to be evacuated unless you have the means to carry this out. The right choice may not be appropriate to cover every circumstance (hence emergency services having dynamic risk assessments) and could be more hazardous to the people being asked to do the actual assisting.

Surely the PPEP would identify the most practical primary means and consider an alternative is all else fails and life is at stake?