Recruitment Email

Research on Evacuating Persons with Mobility Impairments

Questionnaire for Building Managers

Engineering Laboratory

National Institute of Standards and Technology

RECRUITMENT EMAIL

Hello [GSA building manager or designated safety personnel],

In a project sponsored by the U.S. General Services Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting a study of how elevators are being used now and how they might be used in the future during fire emergencies by occupants of existing multi-story buildings in the United States with mobility impairments.

The focus of this research effort is two-fold: a) to gain an understanding of how building occupants with mobility impairments currently evacuate multi-story buildings in the United States during fire emergencies, and b) to learn about the concerns of persons with mobility impairments on using elevators during fire evacuations. Your help is requested to understand the current evacuation procedures and to assist us in contacting occupants with mobility impairments who could provide us with their viewpoints. The viewpoints of the occupants themselves are crucial for the development of much needed evacuation procedural guidance on how to design elevators, signage, and procedures enabling occupants to efficiently and safely use elevators.

Therefore, we are writing this email to ask if you would fill out a questionnaire located here: [insert web address] that asks about your building’s emergency plans and procedures, including how the buildings’ evacuation plans incorporate the use of the existing elevator system to evacuate occupants with mobility impairments during fire emergencies. A copy of the fire evacuation procedures for the building is requested. Completing this questionnaire is voluntary; however, your assistance would be greatly appreciated to help improve the safety of the occupants of your building and of buildings across the U.S..

This questionnaire is the first step in this research effort. Following its completion, we request your help in sending our study information to likely participants in the building. They will be asked to fill out a second questionnaire and, if willing, may be interviewed one-on-one for a more detailed understanding of their views and experiences.

If you have any questions regarding the questionnaire or your participation in this study, which is completely voluntary, please contact Kathryn Butler, Physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the following: 301-975-6673 or kathryn.butler @nist.gov.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important study of life safety procedures.