These aides or "buddies' should be assigned to assist their charge to an
area of refuge where they will await rescue.
When totally enclosed, elevator lobbies can provide added security, particularly on a floor with a single tenant, and can in some instances provide an
area of refuge for tenants in the event of a fire.
Traditionally, people with disabilities that prevented them from making their way up and down emergency stairwells during an evacuation had to go to a designated "
area of refuge" to wait for assistance from rescue personnel.
NFPA 101 Life Safety Code requires that buildings have a means of egress that leads to a point of safety outside the building or to an
area of refuge inside the building.