UW-Whitewater Faculty and Staff,
October is Fire Prevention Month. Faculty and staff are responsible to direct emergency evacuations from buildings and to assist those who need aid. Some of those who may need our help the most are those students with disabilities who are not able to exit buildings by themselves.
Because faculty and staff are expected to direct evacuations from their work areas including classrooms, they are responsible for knowing the primary and alternative routes of exit and the areas of rescue within the building. Faculty and staff should discuss emergency egress at the beginning of each semester with any students who have a disability that would prevent them from evacuating the building independently. When an evacuation involves a student with a disability, faculty and staff will assist according to the plan identified at the beginning of each semester.
Although students with disabilities are also responsible for themselves, students may not automatically articulate the type of assistance that they might need in case of emergency evacuations. As faculty and staff, we should be sensitive and discuss emergency evacuation with the class.
Each classroom door posts emergency evacuation information. Please go over the information with all your classes. In particular, raise the concern about emergency evacuations from the building and request that any students who need assistance develop and share a plan for either getting out of the building or going to an appropriate waiting place in the building until rescue help arrives. Teaching faculty and staff should remember that they are responsible for the entire class and may not be able to focus only on one student in times of emergency; therefore, it is very important that a plan is developed in advance.
If you have questions, please contact Risk Management & Safety (ext. 1856).
Thank you.
Richard Telfer, Chancellor