#emergencieswithadisability

Written and posted on February 13th, 2022

I’ll set the scene for you : it’s 4 AM, a few weeks ago. The fire alarm in our apartment starts going off. I wake up, realize what is happening and begin to put my shoes on. I hear my brother get up and come out of his room. All of a sudden I say, “The kitty! The kitty! How are we going to get the kitty?”

 A few months back, I had my first experience with the alarms. They went off at about 7 pm, as I was napping. I was in the apartment alone, so I just put on my shoes, grabbed my Blankie and mask and bag and went downstairs and outside. I used the elevator, as it was working. At that time, I did not yet have my cat Ellie, so all I had to worry about was myself and my Blankie. 

But now, a few weeks ago, I began to get nervous because we had Ellie. I love her very much and would be very sad if something were to happen to her.  My brother ended up carrying her out in his arms, holding her tight, wrapped in his robe. We did not have time to get her into her carrier. I was nervous about her getting loose once we were outside, but she did such a good job. She didn’t wiggle much and he assured me that he would not let her go. There were some people out there with dogs, and it was cold and there was lots of noise. Ellie did such a good job with all that stimulation. 

These first two alarm situations were because someone pulled the alarm - so not an actual emergency. But it still got me thinking, “How can I get myself out safely, and my cat, and hopefully Blankie.” I love Ellie my cat very much, and my Blankie that I have had since I was a baby. He is the most special thing I have, and if I ever lost him or he got ruined I would be so sad. It might seem strange to some that I care so much about an object but he has helped me through so much and he is like a companion. Obviously I would make sure Ellie is safe first, but I would hopefully rescue him too. 

This happened again a couple of weeks ago, at just after midnight. We were able to get Ellie into her carrier. I had a hard time running down the hall and my chest hurt. The first 2 alarm situations turned out to be someone pulling the alarm, but this most recent one was because there was some smoke coming from someone’s window. There was no serious fire and no one was harmed. 

Here is what I am currently doing to try to prepare for an emergency evacuation:

Upon the suggestion of my mom and my mentor, I have emailed my apartment to let them know my concerns about this. They do not have any special evacuation plans for those with mobility issues, but the plans are posted in the hallway.

I bought an animal backpack for Ellie - my mentor said this way, maybe I could carry her out on my own. I can’t carry her in her carrier. I have not tried putting her in yet, but I will soon.

I plan to practice trying to go down the stairs as fast as I can with one of my mentors, with something in my backpack. I’m not sure if I will actually practice with Ellie or something that is about her weight.

My mom suggested that I talk to a couple of neighbors who live near us and ask them if, in the event of an emergency, they could check on me and if my brother is not home, help me get Ellie safely outside. I am planning to write them a letter explaining this and leave my contact info in it.

I want to start working more on cardio excercise - I know that is why my lungs hurt so much when I tried to run, because I need to strengthen them.

I made copies of my cat’s adoption documents and vaccine records just in case the originals get damaged. I would like to make copies of some of my most important documents too. 

I am going to get a sticker to put on our door and windows that Fire and Rescue people and neighbors will see that says “Please rescue my animal inside.” This is just in case something ever happens while my brother and I are both gone.

I would also like to try and get a fireproof bag to put Blankie in, to keep him safe.

I will keep you posted on how this goes. I am feeling nervous but I am also trying not to think too hard about it, and instead trying to problem-solve. I worry about my ability to get out safely, even without a cat. I would have to go down the stairs with my canes, and I can only go so fast. This is my first time creating a safety plan, and I’m grateful for the suggestions from others, since I haven’t had to think about these things in this way before.

Are you physically disabled? Have you dealt with an emergency evacuation? Do you have a pet or pets? What did you do? I would love your advice!

See you soon for another post!