Fires, accidents, poisonings and other emergencies can occur anywhere, without consideration as to whether someone in the household is in a wheelchair or has some other mobility problem. That's why it's important for people with disabilities to take the usual preventative steps with regard to home safety, and maybe a few extra.

Depending on where you live, the authorities may or may not have special procedures for answering emergency calls from people with disabilities.

New York has a voluntary system that allows people with mobility difficulties living in any of the five boroughs to let the fire department know in advance that they'll need special help in the event of an emergency.

The information goes on computer. Those responding to the call are immediately informed by the computer that the caller needs special assistance due to a disability.

If a fire occurs at one address, emergency personnel will even be aware if someone with limited mobility lives next door.

"We'll want to know about that, just in case, because fire travels from one building to another," a fire department spokesman says. "The information is updated on a regular basis. It behooves people to make sure the firehouse in the area knows about them."

DON'T HANG UP!

Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Fire Department, says that many people who call emergency numbers are prepared to talk but not to listen to questions.

"The dispatchers are highly trained professionals, and sometimes just answering two or three questions will make sure you get the right kind of help," Humphrey says. "Don't hang up until the dispatcher says he's got all the information he needs."

The L.A. department doesn't maintain up-to-date, comprehensive information on people with special needs the way New York does. "We would need to hire two or three hundred people just to keep track of the information," Humphrey says.

At one time, people with disabilities in L.A. were able to notify rescue workers of their special needs by placing stickers in their windows.

"That didn't really prove worthwhile," Humphrey says. "The people moved and didn't remove the stickers. And bad information can be worse than no information."

The stickers were also a problem in that they identified people with disabilities for criminals, he says.

"Our standard policy is that we attack every place aggressively and form a search and rescue of the entire occupancy," he says. "We go to every emergency incident with the anticipation that we will encounter people with special needs."

SPECIAL PHONE TECHNOLOGY

"We were one of the very first departments in the country to comply with the TDD and TTY regulations pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act," Humphrey says. "All of our 911 consoles are TDD/TTY equipped."

TDD and TTY are interchangeable terms for technology called the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf. The system consists of a typewriter-like device that plugs into the regular phone system. The device includes a keyboard and display so that it can send or receive typed messages.

TDD/TTY allows two people who each have the device to carry on a conversation over the phone lines without speaking at all. In addition, a non-disabled person can ask for a relay operator who will "translate" and facilitate communication with a person using TDD/TTY on the other end.

Although TDD/TTY was designed for people with hearing-related disabilities, the system could be useful for anyone whose powers of speech have been affected by a neuromuscular disorder.

The system can be bought commercially, usually running in the hundreds of dollars. Some states provide the technology to qualifying individuals free or for a nominal charge.

Call your local Department of Social Services and ask about TDD/TTY in your area.

EMERGENCY GUIDELINES

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issues guidelines to help prepare people with disabilities to get emergency help.

FEMA recommends keeping an accessible phone and a whistle by your bed along with a list of emergency numbers and your eyeglasses. It's a good idea to have an accessible phone in each room of the house, too, and to consider purchasing a cordless phone.

Leave written information in an easy-to-see place detailing your condition and any medications you require.

Get a programmable phone. Look up your local emergency numbers -- 911 is not used universally -- and program them into the phone so they can be dialed automatically.

You may want to look into commercial services that let you call for help at the touch of a button on a remote device, such as one worn around the neck.

Phoenix offers such a system to people with special needs at no charge. It includes a hand-held unit that automatically sends a signal to the fire department when activated. A printout with full information on the needs of the person making the call appears automatically when the call is made.

SAFE AT WORK?

What if a fire or other emergency were to occur in your workplace? According to FEMA's U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employees with disabilities are entitled to the same level of safety as everyone else.

In hallways, manual pull stations used to signal a fire alarm are now required to be at a height that a person in a wheelchair can reach. In addition to audible signals to inform people of a fire, visible signals such as high-intensity flashing lights are now coming into use.

USFA advises rescue workers that talking briefly with the people who are to be moved can provide crucial information. According to the USFA, those providing assistance should be trained in how to help without causing injury to themselves or others. This is especially relevant if someone needs to be lifted or carried.

Pam Townsend works in an office building in Nashville, Tenn. Due to her facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, she uses a cane and sometimes a wheelchair.

For the able-bodied people at her workplace, evacuating in an emergency means walking down many flights of stairs. Townsend, who works on the sixth floor, has great difficulty walking even one flight, and has fears of being knocked down while trying to do so. "People are not just going to be slowly watching out for you," she says.

Townsend expressed her concerns. The building went from having no policy about rescuing people with disabilities to having a policy that Townsend says is problematic at best.

People with disabilities are instructed to go to a designated area and wait to be physically carried downstairs by fire fighters.

Townsend says this is troubling because some people with disabilities are very heavy; others are simply afraid of being dropped. "But in an emergency or fire, I guess you'll do anything to get out," she says.

PLANNING YOUR ESCAPE

USFA issues information on devices such as special evacuation chairs and power stairclimbing units that can help people who are unable to walk. But neither USFA nor the ADA offer formal requirements for the use of any such equipment in the workplace, so, unfortunately, the policy is still left up to building managers.

Townsend isn't sure what an improved escape plan would be. She knows one is needed, but she fears it may not come along until many people with disabilities have been seriously hurt.

"That's how these things happen a lot of times, after the fact," she says.

A first step would be to ask your work supervisor what provisions are made specifically for people with mobility problems if an emergency occurs at your office.

People living in apartments should let their building managers know that they may need special assistance. The apartment management may be in communication with the fire department when they arrive, and will be in a position to direct emergency workers to tenants who require extra help.

Ask your apartment manager to identify and mark accessible exits in your building.

"It's going to take people being self-advocates, talking with their apartment managers," Townsend says. "Sometimes people want to help, but they don't understand the needs of people with disabilities. So the ones with the disabilities have to speak up."

INTRUDER ALERT

A different kind of a disaster is a home break-in. When one occurs, the most effective response may simply be to get out of the house as soon as you're aware an intruder is present, get to safety and call the police.

Because a safe escape may not always be possible, you may want to make sure that your bedroom has a sturdy door and a bolt lock that operates from inside but won't lock accidentally. The room should have a working flashlight and a cellular phone in case phone lines are cut. Once secured in the room, call the police and let them know what's happening and which room you're in.

Some police departments advocate using a defensive weapon such as pepper spray to incapacitate an assailant. Other authorities advise that such devices can backfire -- literally -- into the faces of crime victims who may use the device incorrectly during an assault. Some say the only totally safe and reliable anti-crime device that citizens should carry is a whistle.

Generally, it's good to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings, as police officers are trained to be. Make sure that doors and windows are secure every night. If you hear a strange sound, don't assume it's nothing.

People with disabilities should be aware that it's possible to learn self-defense techniques that can be effective when used by someone in a wheelchair. Call self-defense schools in your area and ask if they have classes for people with limited mobility.

HELP LINES

For information about emergency preparedness, write to the Federal Emergency Management Agency at FEMA, P.O. Box 70274, Washington, D.C. 20024, or call FEMA's automated information line at (202) 646-FEMA. On the Internet, access http://www.fema.gov for FEMA's web site.

To learn specifically about fire safety, contact U.S. Fire Administration, 16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727. You can call (301) 447-1000 or access http://www.usfa.fema.gov for their web page.

For information on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and how and when you should call, write to Make the Right Call, 1901 L St., NW, Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20036, or call (202) 452-9488.

Another government agency, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), provides information about dangers associated with consumer products. Call CPSC's Consumer Hotline for news on product recalls and product safety at (800) 638-CPSC. CPSC's Internet gopher address is cpsc.gov.

Perhaps the most important call you can make is to your local EMS, Red Cross, police or fire department to see what, if any, programs for people with disabilities exist in your community and how they may benefit you.

Don't wait until an emergency happens to pick up the phone.

Read on for tips to prepare for and prevent home emergencies.