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Disabled man stuck in basement during alarm

Friday, July 6, 2007 | 6:56 AM AT
CBC News

A man in a wheelchair was stuck alone in the basement of Charlottetown’s Atlantic Technology Centre during a fire alarm last week.

‘They had no way of getting me out of the building.’ — Fraser MacPhee

MacPhee was attending a job fair. He had taken the elevator down, but the elevators automatically shut off during a fire alarm.

After the fire alarm started, he waited 10 minutes alone until it became clear it was a false alarm.

“There was a woman that came over and she said that they didn’t have the key for the elevator and they weren’t sure where the person was who should have the key to the elevator,” MacPhee told CBC News Thursday.

“They had no way of getting me out of the building.”

Individuals responsible for escape plan

Charlottetown fire inspector Randy MacDonald said although staff were trying to help MacPhee, there’s no law that requires it. He added the only people allowed to override elevators in a fire are firefighters.

MacDonald said it is up to individuals — disabled or not — to have an escape plan.

But MacPhee believes there should be plans in place to get people like him out during a real fire.

“Thinking about it now, I was under the assumption there wouldn’t be any second-guessing or asking if I wanted to leave the building,” he said.

“It would have just been the same as everyone else. You have to leave the building, and this is how you’re getting out.”

It’s not mandatory, but the National Fire Protection Association does recommend that all buildings have evacuation plans in place for people with disabilities.

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