Background

Currently, when faced with evacuating persons with cognitive and physical disabilities from transit vehicles, such as buses, light rail vehicles, commuter rail vehicles or cutaways, there is no recent standard guidance for agencies to utilize that provides a safe and effective response. The latest guidance from the FTA was published in May 1997, and there have been significant changes in technology and transit operations since then. As a result, many agencies do not have standard guidance, policies, or procedures on how they evacuate persons with cognitive or physical disabilities from their vehicles or rolling stock. Developing such policies is difficult without understanding the myriads of issues that intersect within the operational, safety, engineering, public safety, and accessibility considerations. In the absence of updated and comprehensive guidance, transit agencies often depend on first responders—who themselves may not have consistent protocols for assisting individuals with diverse cognitive and physical needs. This gap frequently results in ad hoc evacuation efforts that fail to fully address individual needs.

Without specific guidance from federal, academic, or regulatory partners, transit agencies face challenges implementing the Whole Community Approach to emergency management, which requires that all the needs of the community be considered when developing or updating emergency response plans. While agencies should be working with their local disability community, and many are, guidance on some of the technical approaches is only available through consultations with experts that transit agencies may not have access to for budgetary or other reasons.

Synthesis Objective

The objective of this synthesis is to provide industry-specific guidance that will include: 

• Strategies for developing, maintaining, and training personnel on safe and effective ways to provide evacuation assistance to persons with cognitive and physical disabilities in situations where evacuation from transit vehicles or rolling stock is required,
• Current practices for transit agencies on equipment needed for safe evacuations, training for transit agency staff and local first responders, as well as passenger communication and outreach, and
• Any available guidance or standards for transit agencies on empowering persons with cognitive and physical disabilities to self-evacuate when possible and equipping transit agency staff to provide compassionate and appropriate levels of assistance to persons requiring it during an emergency on a transit vehicle.