Brief: Stair Chairs improve campus safety

Ryan Thompson

Washburn University installed seven Evacuation Stair Chairs over winter break, in response to concerns regarding elevator failures on campus.

Stair Chairs allow for the safe evacuation of individuals with limited mobility for when an elevator outage or other emergency occurs. Facilities Services employees and the Washburn University Police Department are all trained to operate these chairs.

Chairs are located in Henderson, Garvey, Benton and the Living Learning Center. Lincoln Hall houses three Stair Chairs, one for use in the building and two portable chairs that can be used in buildings that do not have their own, such as Morgan Hall and Petro Allied Health Center.

Students interested in campus safety and emergency procedures may contact Ron Rutherford, interim safety director, to volunteer for training or request information.