FLSD Evacuation of Persons with Disabilities and Areas of Rescue Assistance — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An Area of Rescue Assistance (also called an Area of Refuge) in a high-rise building is designed to:
- Serve as a temporary command post for the FLSD during an evacuation
- Provide a fire-protected location where mobility-impaired occupants can wait for assisted evacuation (Correct answer)
- Store evacuation chairs and medical equipment for use during emergencies
- Allow firefighters to stage equipment before entering a fire floor
Correct answer: Provide a fire-protected location where mobility-impaired occupants can wait for assisted evacuation
An Area of Rescue Assistance is a protected space — typically in a stairwell landing or horizontal exit — where occupants who cannot use the stairs independently can wait safely for firefighter or trained staff assistance. Two-way communication to the fire command station is required.
Question 2: A hearing-impaired tenant cannot hear the building's audible fire alarm. The FLSD's emergency plan should include which accommodation?
- Expecting the tenant to self-identify to the FLSD only after an emergency begins
- Pre-designating a trained floor warden to personally notify and assist the tenant during any alarm (Correct answer)
- Relying on co-workers to informally pass along alarm information
- Installing a separate independent alarm system purchased by the tenant
Correct answer: Pre-designating a trained floor warden to personally notify and assist the tenant during any alarm
The Fire Safety/Evacuation Plan must pre-identify occupants with disabilities and assign specific trained personnel to assist them. Relying on informal notification or self-identification during an active emergency is not a reliable life-safety plan.
Question 3: When a mobility-impaired occupant is waiting in an Area of Rescue Assistance during a fire evacuation, the FLSD must:
- Inform arriving FDNY units of the occupant's exact location and condition (Correct answer)
- Instruct the occupant to attempt stairwell descent independently using the handrail
- Evacuate the occupant via elevator to the ground floor immediately
- Lock the stairwell door to protect the occupant until the all-clear is given
Correct answer: Inform arriving FDNY units of the occupant's exact location and condition
The FLSD's critical duty is to relay the precise location and any relevant medical information about occupants in Areas of Rescue Assistance directly to arriving FDNY units, so firefighters can prioritize and execute assisted evacuation. Elevators are not used for evacuation, and occupants should not be forced into independent stairwell descent.
Question 4: Which of the following is a required feature of a two-way communication system in an Area of Rescue Assistance?
- A direct line to the nearest hospital emergency room
- A hands-free intercom connecting the area to the fire command station (Correct answer)
- A cell phone charging port for the occupant's personal device
- A visual display showing the current floor's evacuation status
Correct answer: A hands-free intercom connecting the area to the fire command station
Code requires a hands-free, two-way communication system between the Area of Rescue Assistance and the fire command station (lobby or fire control room) so the FLSD can confirm who is waiting and communicate status without the occupant needing to hold a handset.
Question 5: A building's Fire Safety/Evacuation Plan (FS/EP) includes a 'Special Needs Registry.' What is this registry's primary purpose?
- To track employees who have received CPR/AED certification
- To document occupants who may require assistance during evacuation so wardens and FDNY are prepared in advance (Correct answer)
- To record all past fire drill participation rates by floor
- To list contractors who have access to mechanical rooms for maintenance
Correct answer: To document occupants who may require assistance during evacuation so wardens and FDNY are prepared in advance
The Special Needs Registry is a pre-emergency planning tool that identifies occupants (permanent or temporary) who may need evacuation assistance — due to mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments — so that floor wardens can be assigned and FDNY can be immediately informed during an incident.
Question 6: An evacuation chair (stair chair) used to assist mobility-impaired occupants should be:
- Stored in a locked mechanical room accessible only to building management
- Located on each floor near the stairwell entrance and included in staff training (Correct answer)
- Kept at the lobby security desk for use only when FDNY requests it
- Deployed only by certified physical therapists during an evacuation
Correct answer: Located on each floor near the stairwell entrance and included in staff training
Evacuation chairs must be strategically pre-positioned near stairwells on floors where they are likely to be needed, and floor wardens must be trained in their use before an emergency. Centralizing them in one location or restricting use to specialists negates their value during a fast-moving evacuation.
FLSD Evacuation of Persons with Disabilities and Areas of Rescue Assistance
An Area of Rescue Assistance (also called an Area of Refuge) in a high-rise building is designed to: