• Fire Science and Engineering
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.52-58
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• 2020

The number of medical welfare facilities caring for the elderly with paralysis and dementia has been increasing rapidly because of the change in the way of supporting the elderly, stemming from an increase in the number of the elderly and working couples. These medical welfare facilities are usually installed all over the city and are gradually becoming high-rise. Few inmates are capable of making their own decisions in case of fire at night and when there are no escape routes such as ramps for evacuation, leading to massive casualties. This study aimed to identify problems in evacuation in the medical welfare facilities for the elderly in Goyang city. This city has the largest number of medical welfare facilities for the elderly per unit area. The following strategies could aid in better evacuation: secure ramps or bed escape elevators; the bedrooms of the inmates should have one-hour fire resistance; the stairs should have the structure of an enclosed stairway; the necessary apparatus for evacuation, such as an escape chute, should be installed; and, to conclude, a business agreement with neighboring agencies to help inmates escape during the fire. The state should implement necessary measures to protect the lives and property of the people. Rapid implementation of this proposal is necessary for the evacuation safety of an increasing number of medical welfare facilities for the elderly.