ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) – In a disaster, emergency workers know how to get most  people to safety. But thanks to an unusual fair, some first responders and disaster volunteers are learning how to help those in need with special needs.

This is the first ever FAN (Functional and Access Needs) Fair in St. Louis. They believe it is the first fair like it anywhere in the country. It won’t be the last.

Red Cross disaster workers spent the morning learning a little about a lot of issues people with disabilities might face in a disaster situation. It was a day focused on awareness.  There were 15 stations covering everything from supports dogs to wheelchair lifts.

“A deaf person doesn’t hear an alarm. If there are trees and lines down, a blind person can die very quickly. A person on the fourth floor in a wheelchair has a problem with evacuation. So what we need are our first responders to be very alert to the wide variety of problems that might emerge,” said David Newburger, the St. Louis City Commissioner of the Disabled.

A St. Louis regional preparedness campaign called “All Ready” sponsored the event, along with the American Red Cross.