ADA National Network Learning Session: Accessible Means of Egress/Emergency Evacuation
11th February, 2016
The way someone enters and moves into a building is not always the same way they move to evacuate a building in an emergency. In addition to accessible entry, persons with disabilities must be considered when designing plans and building systems used for emergency evacuation. The accessible means of egress provisions from the International Building Code (IBC) are now referenced in the federal design regulations and will be required for all new construction. This program will introduce you to the concepts, details and application of exiting provisions, and assist in understanding how the codes and federal regulations are now working to harmonize the national response to designing a building not only for ingress, but for egress as well. Discussions will include operational safety plans, fire drills, notification/communication for occupants in a building during the emergency and physical building requirements.
Learning objectives:
- Determine what is considered when preplanning for emergencies.
- Recognize how people are informed about emergency routes and the need for emergency evacuations.
- Identify the elements of the accessible means of egress routes and where they are required.
Kimberly Paarlberg is a Senior Staff Architect in Technical Services with the International Code Council (ICC). Her experience with ICC includes work in the plan review and code development departments with responsibilities for code development, plan reviews, providing code interpretations, instructing technical seminars and authoring and reviewing instruction materials, code commentary and publication articles. Kimberly serves as code development secretary for the IBC Means of Egress/Accessibility and ICC Administration committees. She is ICC representative for development of the referenced technical standard, ICC/ANSI A117.1 “Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities.”
Before joining ICC, Kimberly worked as a structural engineer and architect. Kim is a licensed architect in Illinois and holds an Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner certification.
Handouts: