Elevators are not used for emergency evacuation. They are shut down during an emergency for safety reasons. People are expected to use the stairs to evacuate. But what about people with disabilities who can not use stairs?
In an emergency, people with disabilities may be trapped. Many buildings have a designated AREA OF REFUGE. An Area of Refuge is often a small landing at the top of a flight of stairs. It is supposed to be a safe place for people with disabilities to wait for help during an emergency. However, if there is any structural damage to the building then an Area of Refuge becomes a very poor alternative to complete evacuation.
It is best to have an evacuation plan that includes everyone! Safely evacuate people with disabilities at the same time as everyone else with an Evacu-Trac from Garaventa Lift.
The Evacu-Trac is extremely simple to use:
It unfolds with one pull of the handle!
The open sides of the Evacu-Trac are designed for easy transfer of a passenger from a wheelchair, with minimal assistance.
Unlike some other evacuation chairs, the Evacu-Trac has low handle height. This allows for those assisting in transfers to work from either the front or back. This creates much more available working space during the transfer.
Once the passenger is positioned in the Evacu-Trac, 3 Velcro™ straps are wrapped securely around the passenger’s chest, waist and legs.
The Evacu-Trac has a patented braking system and speed governor. These features allow a small attendant to easily evacuate a larger person safely and securely. Full control of the speed is easy.
The fail-safe brake allows the chair to be stopped anywhere at any time, even midway down a flight of stairs. As soon as the operator takes their hands off the Evacu-Trac handle, the unit comes to a complete stop!
The operator can safely let go of the unit completely, even on the stairs! The Evacu-Trac is very stable in all situations. This allows the operator to walk around the chair to clear an obstruction or assist a passenger in distress.