Emergencies
What to do, where to go, and who to find if something happens at the Festival.
In an Emergency
Find a Safety & Care crew member
Red badges, bright pink safety vests. They're at every screening and trained to respond.
Listen for instructions
From the Safety & Care crew or Presidio Theatre staff. They will tell you whether to evacuate, shelter in place, or wait.
If evacuating: leave your bag, do not run
Follow the evacuation order so we move as one. The full procedure is below.
No One Left Behind
Emergencies happen. When they do at QWOCFF, our Safety & Care crew, Presidio Theatre staff, and venue procedures work together to keep our community safe.
Our approach is shaped by who's in the room with us. We move at the pace of the slowest person. We evacuate in an order that protects our wheelchair users, disabled community members, and elders first. We do not call law enforcement to handle medical emergencies.
"We will move as fast as the slowest person to ensure that no one is left behind."
How To Prepare For Your Visit
Before You Arrive
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If you have specific access needs or mobility considerations for an evacuation, email festival@qwocmap.org in advance so we can plan together.
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Save the festival contact in your phone: festival@qwocmap.org.
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Read the Evacuation Procedure below so you know the order if something happens during a screening.
When You Arrive
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Note the exits as you find your seat. There's one to the courtyard from House left.
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Identify the Safety & Care crew at the screening — red badges and bright pink safety vests.
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If you need help finding any of the above, ask any team member with a red badge.
Medical Care
The Safety & Care crew is on hand to assist with illness, first aid, and medical emergencies.
The venue has an AED and First Aid kits with basic supplies.
If a medical emergency requires paramedics, the Safety & Care crew will facilitate their arrival without calling law enforcement. This is part of how we keep us safe at QWOCFF.
When possible, the Safety & Care lead will designate a crew member to accompany the audience member — including a mental health provider or crisis counselor when one is on-site.
Nearby Medical Facilities
| FACILITY | ADDRESS | PHONE |
|---|---|---|
| UCSF Health-GoHealth Urgent Care | 2395 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94123 | 415-796-2242 |
| Kaiser Permanente Emergency Room | 2425 Geary Blvd, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94115 | 415-833-3304 |
| CPMC Emergency Room | 1260 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94109 | 415-600-3333 |
Evacuation Procedure
In situations where an immediate evacuation is necessary, we move as one — at the pace of the slowest person, with no one left behind.
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1
Wheelchair users move first.
Out of the building first, using the ramp from House left to enter the courtyard.
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2
Blind & Low Vision, Deaf & Hard of Hearing, other disabled people, and elders who need assistance follow.
Same door, same route to the courtyard.
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3
Ambulatory people follow into the courtyard.
Two Things To Remember:
LEAVE your bag. 
Do NOT run. Presidio Theatre staff use evacuation chairs to carry out any wheelchair users in the lower lobby and transfer them to extra wheelchairs located nearby.
Need to Plan Ahead?
If you have specific access needs, mobility considerations, or other circumstances that should shape an evacuation plan for you, email festival@qwocmap.org in advance. We'll plan together.
If We Need to Shelter In Place
For large-scale emergencies that go beyond basic first aid, small fires, and situations EMTs and fire trucks can address, the best decision may be to shelter in place rather than evacuate.
If that happens, we will work to keep everyone comfortable until it is safe to evacuate.
What's Available At The Venue
Safety & Care Crew
At every screening. Red badges and bright pink safety vests. Trained to assess, de-escalate, and connect medical care.
AED
Available at the venue.
First Aid Kits
Stocked with basic supplies. Ask any Safety & Care crew member.
Evacuation Chairs
Presidio Theatre staff use evacuation chairs to carry wheelchair users out of the lower lobby, with extra wheelchairs available nearby for transfer.
Accessible Exits
The ramp from House left leads to the courtyard. This is the primary evacuation route for wheelchair users and other community members who need step-free access.
Key Things to Remember
“We move as one.”
As fast as the slowest person, in an order that protects our wheelchair users, disabled community members, and elders first.
“No law enforcement for medical emergencies.”
Safety & Care crew facilitates paramedic arrival without calling police. This is how we keep us safe.
