Evacuation and Rescue of Elderly and Disabled Passengers from Paratransit Vans and Buses [1984]

This report reflects concerns felt by both the transit community and the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding the ability of transit operators and rescue forces to rescue elderly and disabled passengers in emergencies. The project intent is to provide efficient and safe methods for the effective evacuation and rescue of elderly and disabled passengers from such vehicles as standard and modified vans, body-on-chassis small buses, and heavy-duty transit buses. Standard methods are often ineffective. This study determines the most effective methods of evacuation and rescue as a function of transit use by the elderly and disabled, accident incidence rates for various types of transit vehicles, transit vehicle characteristics and crashworthiness, and the state of emergency preparedness forces. Equipment needs are identified and suggestions are made for providing familiarity and simulation training, for developing standard operating procedures, for debriefing actual accident victims, and for disseminating this newly developed technology. This project established an industry-wide Project Review Committee responsible for reviewing and evaluating the rescue equipment, procedures, and techniques identified or developed under this project. Transit operators, state DOTs, and transit equipment manufacturers contacted and interviewed are listed in the Appendix of this report. Included in this report is an Evacuation and Resource Bibliography of 190 citations.