Hearing Impaired: It may be necessary to use a combination of approaches to provide hearing impaired individuals with notification that an emergency alarm has been triggered. Check if existing fire alarm system can be configured to transmit a signal to one of the vibrating personal alert devices. The transmitter might need to be connected to each separate fire alarm so that the individual can be notified from anywhere in the building. Transmitter ranges are approximately 100 feet. Adapted fire alarms can generate a message to a beeper when they are activated. Some fire alarms have strobes to alert both hearing impaired visitors and existing workers that an alarm has been set off. It is essential that the strobe light is seen from all areas, especially meeting rooms and passages. Sensory impairment, deafness and blindness make up the greatest percentage of people with disabilities, as this chart demonstrates deaf and hearing impaired is the largest of any disability group.
The effect of time pressure and stress on the decision-making process during fire emergencies The safe evacuation in an emergency requires the people who are leaving to have to make rapid and appropriate decisions while faced with potentially stressful conditions. The persons' decision-making process can become irrational as the emotional factors of control, uncertainty, fear, worry, and confusion start to interfere with the decision-making process required in a successful evacuation. During a 'fire emergency' , the person's level of fear is directly influenced by the uncertainty of what is happening around them, combined with the speed of events. It must be remembered that we are outlining the psychology of an evacuating person and that it is not an exact science, meaning that there are no hard fixed rules regarding reactions and reaction times, this said broad based convention could be applied.
©SHEilds – All rights reserved FCV 4 JUN 2021
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