A 2017 RAND Study showed that 60% of American adults have at least one chronic health condition and that was only expected to rise as baby boomers age. Now, most of us with health conditions think about how it impacts us day to day, but what about in emergencies?
Every three years the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority has to ensure the Buffalo Niagara International Airport is prepared if disaster strikes so they hold a drill to simulate a major emergency.
“We always throw a couple of curveballs in there, to really test the responders. And this year, we really went for the fence in a lot of different things," said Erie County Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Medical Services Gregory Gill.
Gill said this year they practiced responding to a plane on fire and treating patients in a field hospital. The “patients” are volunteers from the community, and this year they put an emphasis on having volunteers with disabilities and health conditions.
“If we go to a call, we don't expect to see seven, 10, 15 people that have all these disabilities, we might expect them one or two," Gill said. "But again, folks are so mobile right now, it's not unlikely that you're going to have a larger group of people, especially in an airplane."
Holly Nidell, who runs the NFTA’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, assisted in the planning and recruitment of volunteers for the drill. She was also one of the volunteer patients.
“It was really important in seeing all the individuals that had different disabilities because it's not just a physical disability, and many individuals will look at individuals who have that physical aspect and will neglect to be mindful of the people who may have a disability that they can't see," Nidell said.
Both Gill and Nidell shared that the drill taught one common theme: communication.
“We wanted somebody that had vision problems, hearing problems … one of the things that we don’t always think about that and is becoming more prevalent nowadays is just language barriers. So we‘ve actually gone out and got those types of groups," Gill said. "We didn’t train our responders on how to deal with it, we wanted to see what their reaction was first. Now what we’re going to do is we’re going to go out there and train on specific types of disabilities.”
Gill said the airport will be adding equipment and packets with visual aids to help them assist people with disabilities after doing this last drill. But everyone involved in the drill also shared that travelers can also prepare for emergencies by communicating on their end.
Nidell said, as a wheelchair user, she communicates with the airline ahead of time and when she boards, asking what she needs to do in an emergency as a person with a disability.
“They will instruct you because they're the professionals. But then usually they'll ask, what are your capabilities? And what are your limitations? And then I express, 'This is what I can do, this is what I can’t do,'” Nidell said.
Nidell shared that this is important because emergency instructions don’t always include people with disabilities.
“So, when you board a plane and your mode of transportation, again is underneath the plane and the airline stewardess is explaining ‘you have exits in front in the back, and on the sides.’ And you get this pit in your stomach, because I can't go to the front, I can't go to the back and I can't go to the sides,” Nidell said.
“So, the thought, the fear of something happening, the fear that 'Oh, my God, I can't get off the plane.' The fear of I have my life is in someone else's hands, is pretty scary,” Nidell added.
But communicating can help make sure your needs are met in an emergency.
Beyond reaching out to the airline or stewardess, it can be a good idea — for anyone with health conditions — not just people with disabilities, to keep a list of your needs on you while flying. Alert bracelets, hidden disability lanyards, cards that explain your communication, physical or mental health needs can be of great assistance to emergency professionals, especially if you are unable to communicate verbally during an emergency.
