Tried, Tested, Trusted

A lifeboat for the
mobility impaired

David Egen invented the original evacuation chair, after carrying his mobility impaired wife to safety. David and his wife were on the 38th floor of a Manhattan building, when there was an emergency evacuation. His wife had suffered with polio as a child, resulting in her having reduced mobility and without any equipment to assist, David had no alternative but to carry his wife.

The impact of this event sparked David to invent a solution, to assist in the emergency evacuation of those with mobility impairments. His original concept was the hybrid of a stretcher, cart and chair, designed for the stairs to carry the weight of the passenger.

To bring his concept to reality David needed a manufacturing partner, which he found in the UK. Working in collaboration, David and his partner refined his invention, resulting in the original evacuation chair being designed and manufactured in the early 1980’s.

Whilst there have been product refinements over the last 40 years, David’s original design concept still remains, providing a safe and fast means of escape for everyone, during an emergency.