Shelter in Place

Arrow pointing up with wheelchair symbol beside it

Western has a Shelter in Place Policy  to ensure the safety and welfare of all faculty, staff, students and visitors. The policy is to ensure the safety of occupants in a building who have a physical disability that may limit their ability to evacuate by means of stairwells when elevators are not available.

The Shelter in Place policy applies to:

  • Persons with physical disabilities limiting their ability to leave
  • Person whose leaving will slow down the egress path, putting themselves and others in harm’s way
  • If there is surgery in progress and the person is under sedation and cannot leave. The surgeon will stay with the occupant.
  • A person who is on crutches and cannot use the stairs without putting themselves in more danger
  • Smoke and/or fire are blocking the egress path