Accessible Emergency Preparedness

The following guidelines assist in planning for the evacuation of people with disabilities. Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility:

All individuals should be aware of evacuation routes and safe refuge areas.

People with disabilities (including those with permanent or temporary mobility/sensory impairments due to injury or surgery) should proactively determine their needs and identify whether additional steps are required for their safety.

Temporary mobility or sensory impairments, such as those resulting from injury, surgery, concussion, or medical treatment, may affect a person’s ability to evacuate safely. Individuals experiencing temporary impairments should notify a responsible individual such as their supervisor, instructor, RA/REC, or PI so that a short‑term evacuation plan can be created for the duration of their condition.

Roles in emergency planning:
Responsible individuals need to plan for the safety of employees, students, and visitors under their care. Staying up to date on required training is necessary to ensure everyone understands their role in an emergency.

Employees: If an employee needs assistance during an evacuation, they are responsible for informing their supervisor. The supervisor is then responsible for establishing a workable evacuation plan for those employees.
Instructors in the classroom: At the beginning of each semester, instructors should request that students who may need assistance during a building evacuation privately identify themselves so an evacuation plan can be established proactively. This notification could be added to the class syllabus and also verbally mentioned during the first class meeting. Instructors can coordinate with Student Disability Services and Environmental Health and Safety for specific plans.
Students in Residence Halls: Per the MTU Residence Education Living Guide, students should discuss their needs with their Resident Assistant (RA) or Residence Education Coordinator (REC) to ensure their individual safety plan is integrated into the hall’s evacuation strategy. RAs will incorporate disability-related evacuation needs directly into residence hall fire drills and emergency exercises in coordination with Housing and Residence Education staff.
Laboratory and High-Hazard Spaces: Individuals working in labs, shops, or pilot plants must coordinate directly with their Principal Investigator (PI) or lab supervisor to ensure evacuation plans account for specialized PPE, critical equipment shutdown procedures, and safe exit routes.

Building Safe-Refuge Areas:

Michigan Tech’s Public Safety and Police Services provides general guidance on the use of Safe‑Refuge Areas during evacuations. Safe‑Refuge Areas are places relatively resistant to smoke and heat, such as sprinkler‑protected rooms, hallways, or stairway landings, where an occupant may wait until help arrives.

Because Safe‑Refuge Areas vary by building design, individuals should review posted evacuation maps in each building they use to identify the nearest Safe‑Refuge Area. Supervisors, instructors, RAs/RECs, and PIs should ensure that individuals who may need assistance are familiar with these locations as part of their evacuation planning.

If a Safe‑Refuge Area is used during an emergency, an individual (such as a colleague, instructor, or RA) must be assigned at the time of the incident to notify emergency responders of the exact location of the waiting occupant. Dial 911 to alert responders of the Safe-Refuge Area location. Public Safety and Police Services receive incoming information and location reports, maintaining direct contact to relay disability-related evacuation locations and needs directly to responding fire and emergency personnel.

Emergency Preparedness Guidelines for People with Disabilities:

Make your environment fire-safe and make sure your exit route is clear.
Keep sufficient emergency supplies to last for three days (include food, water, prescription medicines, and any other supplies you might need).
Become familiar with alternate routes in buildings you use frequently.
Consider various disaster scenarios and decide ahead of time what you would do in different emergencies.
Consider that you may have to be very direct with the people around you, who may be reacting to an emergency rather than listening to your requests.
Develop strategies for your protection. For example, if you use a wheelchair and cannot duck and cover under a table:

Protect your head as much as possible
Move away from windows, filing cabinets, bookcases, light fixtures, and heavy objects that could shatter, fall, or tip over
Engage the electronic brake or wheel locks on your wheelchair.

People with power wheelchairs should consider the following:

In evacuations, it is standard practice to evacuate people with disabilities without their wheelchairs. Determine where you should be located while waiting for your wheelchair.
Identify necessary medications, items on the chair, or support systems that you require.
Know if you have access to another wheelchair if yours cannot be immediately evacuated.

Know your limitations and be aware of your needs in different emergencies.
If you need assistance, ask for it. People may not be aware of your circumstances or know how they can help.
Arrange a “buddy system” with colleagues or friends to check in, alert you, and assist during an emergency. A “buddy system” is a method for volunteers (co-workers/neighbors) to alert and assist people with disabilities in an emergency.
Provide clear instructions to rescuers regarding your specific needs and the best ways to assist you.
Many Michigan Tech facilities utilize designated Building Emergency Coordinators. These individuals assist with building-wide evacuation communication, help monitor Safe-Refuge Area check-ins, and liaise with Public Safety and Police Services during an emergency. Ask your supervisor whether your building has a Building Emergency Coordinator and clarify who it is.

Training and annual review requirements

To ensure consistent emergency preparedness across campus, employees must complete the required Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Safety Skills training on an annual basis.

Evacuation plans and any Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) should be reviewed once per year, or whenever an individual’s needs, workspace, or building assignment changes.

Documentation of training completion and plan reviews should be maintained by the responsible department and made available to EHS upon request. EHS provides training resources and consultation to support departments in meeting these requirements.

Special Emergencies and Shelter-in-Place Procedures

Not all emergencies require evacuation. During severe weather, hazardous material releases, or active threat situations, occupants should follow Michigan Tech’s Shelter‑in‑Place procedures.

Tornado / Severe Weather:

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows and exterior walls. Individuals with mobility impairments should identify accessible shelter locations in advance in the buildings they use most frequently.

Hazardous Material Release:

Stay indoors, close doors and windows, and turn off fans or ventilation under your control. Individuals with respiratory or medical sensitivities should keep necessary medical supplies accessible and follow guidance from Public Safety and Police Services.

Active Threat:

Follow the University’s “Run, Hide, Fight” guidance. Individuals who are unable to evacuate quickly should secure their location, lock or barricade doors if possible, silence mobile devices, and call 911 when it is safe to do so.

Responsible individuals should ensure individuals with disabilities understand accessible shelter locations and procedures for each building where they work, teach, or live.

Accessible Emergency Communications and Alerts
Michigan Tech utilizes multi-modal emergency alerts including audible alarms, visual strobes, digital displays, and personal mobile notification systems.

Consider how you will share and receive emergency information if you have speech, hearing, or vision disabilities.
All employees and students should ensure their emergency contact information and notification preferences are kept up-to-date in Experience.

When An Evacuation is Needed:

Always ASK someone with a disability how you can help BEFORE attempting any rescue technique or giving assistance. If they do not need assistance, continue with your own evacuation. If they want assistance, ask how they can best be assisted or moved, and whether any special considerations or items need to come with the person.
DO NOT use elevators unless authorized to do so by police or fire personnel. Elevators could fail during an emergency.
Check on people with specific disability-related needs during an evacuation using the buddy system.
Attempt a rescue evacuation ONLY if you have had rescue training or the person is in immediate danger and cannot wait for professional assistance. Emergency responders have a short response time and advanced equipment for moving people to safety from their safe-refuge area, which is commonly a stairwell if they are not using a shelter-in-place location.
Once safely outside, immediately notify emergency responders (911) of the person’s exact location so they can manage extraction if required.

Assisting a Person with Disabilities:

People who are Blind or have Visual Impairments

Verbal Cues: Give verbal instructions to advise on the safest route, using directional terms or estimated distances. Provide verbal updates ("We are approaching a stairwell").
Guiding: DO NOT grasp the person’s arm. Ask if they would like to hold onto your arm as you exit.

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Get the person’s attention by eye contact first, and then touch.
Find a method to clearly explain the situation. Gestures are helpful, but be prepared to write a brief statement on a mobile device or paper if the person does not seem to understand.
Provide visual direction. Point toward exits or evacuation maps.

People with Mobility Impairments

If possible, help clear the exit route of debris to enable the person to move to a safer area.
If a person with a mobility impairment cannot exit, they should move to a Safe-Refuge Area (as defined above).
Notification: Once outside, immediately notify Public Safety and Police Services (911) or fire personnel of the person’s exact location. Police or fire personnel will decide if the location is safe or if immediate extraction is required.

Requesting accommodations and support

If an employee would like to request accommodations due to a disability they may contact the ADA Office to engage in the interactive process. Accommodations may include emergency preparedness and evacuation needs.

ADA Coordinator
Email: adacoordinator@mtu.edu
Phone: (906) 487‑3310

Students may contact Student Disability Services to discuss emergency‑related accommodations.

Emergency‑related accommodation information is confidential and shared only with personnel who need the information to support safe evacuation and shelter‑in‑place procedures.

In all emergencies, contact Emergency Services by dialing 911.

If you have any questions about emergency management, please contact Public Safety and Police Services at (906) 487-2216 or Deputy Chief Reid DeVoge at rdevoge@mtu.edu.

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