Elevators and Fires
Sep. 25th, 2008 11:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebI always thought you weren't supposed to use elevators if there was a fire because elevators were unreliable during fires.
But today I learned that in the building where I work, elevators are used by fire fighters. As soon as a fire is detected, all elevators head toward the first floor. (This is puzzling in high rises because not all floors will have the alarm, so then you have a bunch of people standing around waiting for an elevator that is never coming.)
Fire fighters can use a special key to allow them to work an elevator. They have to be pressing a button the entire time until they arrive at the floor they want. If they stop pressing the button, say because they pass out, then the elevator will go back to the first floor.
The mobility impaired are rescued last, probably because you can get more people out per minute that way. In our building, these folks should wait for rescue at the elevator.
I was wondering if this meant that elevators are considered safe after all. I think the answer is no but that fire fighters have more information on which to base risky decisions. There is a lot more information in Building Operation Management's very informative article Changing Views on Fire Safety Point to an Increased Role for Elevators in Evacuation. From it I learned that there is a law that elevators work the way ours do, but there is debate on whether this is ideal for all buildings.
But today I learned that in the building where I work, elevators are used by fire fighters. As soon as a fire is detected, all elevators head toward the first floor. (This is puzzling in high rises because not all floors will have the alarm, so then you have a bunch of people standing around waiting for an elevator that is never coming.)
Fire fighters can use a special key to allow them to work an elevator. They have to be pressing a button the entire time until they arrive at the floor they want. If they stop pressing the button, say because they pass out, then the elevator will go back to the first floor.
The mobility impaired are rescued last, probably because you can get more people out per minute that way. In our building, these folks should wait for rescue at the elevator.
I was wondering if this meant that elevators are considered safe after all. I think the answer is no but that fire fighters have more information on which to base risky decisions. There is a lot more information in Building Operation Management's very informative article Changing Views on Fire Safety Point to an Increased Role for Elevators in Evacuation. From it I learned that there is a law that elevators work the way ours do, but there is debate on whether this is ideal for all buildings.