Fire brigade rescues wheelchair user after elevator breakdown in Munich

Fire brigade rescues wheelchair user after elevator breakdown in Munich

All of us have probably complained about a problem with the elevator, but for a wheelchair user from Freimann it became a serious situation on Friday afternoon. In a medical center on Heidemannstrasse, the lady was stuck on the third floor with her 180 kilogram wheelchair after a doctor's appointment because the elevator no longer worked. After the doctor's visit, she wanted to go back to the practice and found that the elevator finally wanted to go down, but just couldn't go down. A local elevator technician came by to fix the problem, but he too failed due to the broken elevator.

The fire department was then alerted and was quickly on the scene. Thanks to the good cooperation, the fire brigade team was able to attach the crane suspension system of the turntable ladder to the lifting eyes of the wheelchair. The patient was brought safely to a terrace on the same floor before she was carefully and delicately carried down the stairs in a stretcher chair. After waiting for a few hours, she was finally able to take a taxi home, as Abendzeitung München reports.

A problem with the system

Such incidents highlight general accessibility in public buildings. In the current case, it is not just the simple technical breakdown of an elevator that is putting safety and accessibility for people with disabilities to the test. According to the Disability Equality Act, accessibility is essential, and yet many public buildings do not meet the required standards.

The draft of DIN 18040, which is intended to deal with escape routes, often ignores the needs of people with disabilities, while according to this standard, people with disabilities are classified as “not capable of self-rescue”. This leads to a legal and human security gap that can have serious consequences in an emergency. Fire protection concepts, which often ignore the needs of seniors and parents with small children, urgently need to be revised - a circumstance that, according to Null Barriere, not only has liability consequences, but can also lead to dangerous situations.

A ray of hope in practice

Despite the challenges posed by the wheelchair user's situation, the rescue operation by the fire department once again showed how important it is to focus on accessibility and to promote improvements in these areas. There are already solutions for barrier-free escape routes that can be tested in practice, such as standard elevators as escape routes or alternative escape options such as hose slides. The Bavarian Chamber of Architects and the Supreme Building Authority are working intensively to integrate these solutions into the planning of new buildings.

The events in Freimann are not only an urgent appeal for improving building standards, but also a reminder of how important it is for emergency services and society to work together to break down barriers and make everyday life more accessible for everyone. Ultimately, everyone should be able to live without obstacles and participate in public life.