Hospital fires are operationally different from most buildings. Many patients are bedridden, have a mobility impairment or are connected to medical equipment, so evacuation speed depends heavily on hospital staff and available equipment. A recent study from Hospital Policlinico San Martino (Genoa, Italy), published in December 2025, tested whether an “evacuation sheet” can measurably improve patient evacuation performance in older healthcare buildings.
Why this study matters for fire safety professionals
The authors highlight a common challenge in older or protected buildings: progressive horizontal evacuation can be difficult to implement when internal compartmentation is inadequate or structural upgrades are constrained. In those situations, vertical evacuation via internal stairs may become the only viable escape route for non-ambulatory patients.
What they tested
The team ran evacuation simulations during the night shift, which is the most critical staffing scenario due to reduced availability of personnel. They compared:
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Evacuation sheet method: the S-CAPEPOD® Evacuation Sheet positioned permanently under the mattress, allowing a patient to be moved by dragging for both horizontal and vertical evacuation.
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Conventional method: horizontal movement using the hospital bed, followed by vertical evacuation using a rescue sheet with handles (typically requiring lifting).
The standard route in the drills included ~30 m of corridor plus ~18 m of vertical travel to reach a designated safe area.
Key results (what to remember)
The evacuation sheet outperformed the conventional method across scenarios, especially in the first 15 minutes—described as the decisive phase of the emergency.
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Average evacuation time reported for the sheet was 2 minutes 35 seconds.
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In the first 15 minutes, the sheet enabled evacuation of 7 patients, versus 3 patients with the conventional method: an efficiency gain of over 50%.
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Staffing demand was also lower: two staff for horizontal and vertical movement with the evacuation sheet, versus four operators commonly needed for the conventional approach.
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The authors also note a practical benefit: moving multiple patients to the safe area while keeping escape routes clearer for emergency personnel.
Practical implications for fire safety programmes
If your organisation considers evacuation sheets, this study points to three implementation priorities:
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Availability at point of use: the sheet’s under-mattress positioning was a key advantage, because it’s always ready for use.
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Training and placement checks: correct placement underneath the bed mattress affects effectiveness; the hospital ran a structured training and instruction programme (including video materials).
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Scenario realism: train for night-shift staffing, stairs, and bariatric cases (the study describes specific training and notes a 300 kg option: Bariatric S-CAPEPOD).
Read the full study
For full methods, timings, and tables, see the paper: Evacuation Study Hospital Genoa.
Special thanks
Special thanks to our Italian distributor, Synergica, for faciliting this.