I know that fire escape stairs on the outside of buildings are still used but so are escape chutes (slides similar to those used by airlines). 

http://www.escape-chute-systems.com/

Escape Chute Systems design and manufacture Mass and Rapid Emergency Evacuation

Just one Escape Chute can evacuate at the rate of 25 people per minute.

Or have 360 persons at ground level in 15 minutes, irrespective to the height.

You’re right Bebe, I’ve NEVER seen or heard about anything for those in wheel chairs and I think that was a very valuable and credible question you put out…............and the answer you got very telling.

Bebelicious - 18 August 2011 06:27 PM

We had a fire drill yesterday.  I asked one of the safety team members how they handled folks in wheel chairs.  She didn’t know.  I was wondering because we had a person on our floor (third only) who was temporarily on a wheel chair recently.  Three wore me out getting back up because I wasn’t about to wait for the elevator, but a lot of people don’t realize that going down stairs can be more hazardous than going up.

Where I worked They had someone who’s job it was to round the disabled together and then they would go down in a special lift.
I suppose it would ideally be one that hadn’t yet become subjected to the fire.

Our hotel is horribly unprepared for fires. The one time we DID have a fire (thankfully a small one), the housekeepers actually CLOSED THE DOORS of the rooms they were working on, so they wouldn’t be ‘bothered’ by the blaring fire alarms. *facepalm* This caused more than a little panic when we realized that they hadn’t come out of the building…