Posted By Simon Priest Firstly, do said persons need to be located on the 13th Floor?

Posted By shaun mckeever If it is a high rise building why aren't the lifts available? You are required to have firefighting lifts for high rise buildings and it is permitted to use these for your MIP evacuation strategy.

Posted By Dave Merchant As Stephen says there are products available to get a wheelchair down stairs, but it's a much bigger issue than that. Will there be enough people and devices available for all the residents, on each floor, who need them? Where can they be stored securely? Will using chair systems cause problems? (they work, but they move very slowly compared to a stampeding crowd on the same staircase, so if it's busy they can cause no end of problems). High-rise evacuation modeling is a complicated science (more so since 9/11) and every case is different. Depending on the nature of your building and its occupancy, refuges may offer a better solution, despite seeming counter-intuitive.

Posted By Messy Shaw I agree with Shaun Mckeever's post about using the firefighting lift. Such provision is already in place, requires little training and may be safer/faster than 'wheelbarrowing' someone down 13 floors!! - especially a heavier than usual person. However, Some questions: Firefighting lifts are usually operated/switched from the ground or access floor. When switched, the lift car proceeds to the access floor and all other controls are isolated. So when utilising FF lifts, how does a disabled person call the lift (if on the 13th floor as this person is) as their control will be non operational? If the procedure involves somebody operating the lift at the ground floor and then taking the car up to the 13th floor (perhaps through the fire floor), how is that risk assessed & addressed? Alternatively, does this procedure rely on the lift not being switched to firefighting mode. In which case, how can you ensure that the lift will arrive on the 13th floor as soon as possible? (I expect we have all experienced long waits for lifts. It must seem like an eternity when alarms are sounding and your colleagues are leaving via the stairs!!)

Posted By water67. Hi, sorry guys check the regs there is no requirement to provide a "fire fighters lift". Assuming it is a tenanted housing property.. problem with evac chairs etc. is who will use them to get people out? also what about non emergency issue..people wish to go shopping..have a doc, dentist appointment etc. etc. Relocation is the best, most effective and efficient method. Cheers

Posted By Richard Hammer http://www.communities.g...iresafetyassessmentmeans Have a look at the copy of the above firstly. A lot of issues need to be assessed first. As mentioned try and reduce risk in first place by removing such persons from 13th floor. If not possible then create PEEPS for each individual. Get these people involved, assess what they prefer and assess their preferred options for escape. Assumptions should not be made about the abilities of wheelchair users (if that is their disability?) and they should not be excluded from a building because of false assumptions about their ability to leave the building safely. The preferred method of escape by most wheelchair users is horizontally to another fire compartment, or to outside the building, or vertically by the use of an evacuation or fire-fighting lift. If these options are not available, or not in operation, it may be necessary to carry a person up or down an escape stair. Some people have mentioned the weight of the person, but these Evac Chairs are great to use even with the most heaviest of people, if training is in place. What is also required is co-ordination and co-operation in that all responsible persons communicate their PEEPS/emergency plans with each other. Another factor is the fire/evacuation strategy in place. 2 stage phased evacuation will alert all disable persons in building when other areas are on standby to start egress with their buddies or however their PEEPS works. Compartmentation is a factor to and also informing the local F&RS if a fire fighting lift is to be used as they will turn up wanting to take control of lift to get to 13th floor and below ASAP. As mentioned if you want to use fire fighting lift you need someone (security)to ensure control of lift. Do lifts ground on full alarm or at the first stage. Plenty to think about, but should be straight forward enough once other info is taken into account...........unless you have x 10 wheelchair users on 13th floor, in which they should not be there in first place lol.