Sistemi di assistenza in condizioni di emergenza

The aim of this project is to make a preliminary analysis and to formulate proposals about the rescue in emergency of persons with disabilities. Rescue teams, both emergency workers in the workplace and Firefighters, often underestimate the complexity and difficulties encountered in the management of emergencies in which there are people with special needs.The project method starts by analyzing briefly some real cases: the exodus in the World Trade Center during the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, and the critical issues arisen during the Katrina hurricane, 2005. Afterwards, by using an observational method, critical issues that occurs in a special caseate studied; management and emergency planning in an Italian healthcare facility, specifically a retirement home in residential regime are observed. More precisely, the study carries out an analysis of simulated emergency in a department of the nursing home where guests with disabilities live. The emergency is analyzed conducting two simulations. The first one takes place in the current condition, the second one after the introduction of some corrective measures.The results relate to: development of a model to determine the maximum evacuation time from a department of a nursing home or hospital where there are people with walking impairment; determination of measures, not present in specialist literature, such as speed and time of preparation and deposition of people not self sufficient who use assistive devices; a proposal to modification of the Italian regulation that provides mandatory information on emergency management in work places where there are people with disabilities. The suggestion is based on the factors that led to improvements in the planning and execution of the exodus in the simulations.The conclusions recommend the importance of planning the emergency exodus when there are people with disabilities and suggest some points to consider in emergencies that require the evacuation of vulnerable people.