Vertical hospital evacuations: a new method.

Rarely are hospitals forced to evacuate their nonambulatory patients; however, when a disaster occurs, evacuating nonambulatory patients, particularly from multilevel facilities, represents a major logistical hurdle. Hospital disaster plans often rely on outside agencies and limited equipment to perform vertical evacuations. This article describes a novel method using readily available materials (patient mattresses and bedsheets) to effect a rapid, safe vertical evacuation. This method also can be used in nonhealthcare facilities for less-than-fully ambulatory individuals.