Elevators are an extremely safe way of getting around a building. However, if there’s a fire, it’s common knowledge that people should take the stairs instead of an elevator. For additional safety, you should install fire protection devices at the top of elevator hoistways, at the bottom of elevator pits, in elevator lobbies, and in motor and control rooms. Fire Guys NY provides these services so you can include elevator protection as part of your comprehensive fire safety plan.
If you need elevator protection services, please contact Fire Guys NY today.
Why Can’t You Take an Elevator to Escape from a Fire?
It’s important to follow the rules posted on the walls in elevator lobbies and take the stairs to evacuate a high-rise building during a fire. Here’s why:
- A fire can short-circuit the elevator call button, causing it to stop moving. This could leave you dawdling in an elevator lobby when you should be making your way downstairs.
- Elevator shafts quickly fill with smoke during a fire. If the elevator door opens on different floors, it could transport smoke around the building.
- If the control systems fail or the power goes out while you’re riding the elevator, you could become trapped in a smoke-choked elevator shaft.
- The fire department may need to use the elevator to shuttle personnel and firefighting equipment from the ground to a floor or two below where the fire is burning.
- Elevators are incredibly inefficient for evacuating a whole building. Only a small number of people can fit inside, and if people keep pressing the call button, the elevator could stop at every floor on the way down.
Elevator Fire Protection Devices
Fire safety requirements for elevators are very extensive. Nearly 400 pages of codes deal with this subject. That’s why you should rely on a fire protection company like Fire Guys NY to make sure your elevators and motor rooms are as safe as possible in a fire.
Sprinklers for Elevator Protection
Several devices come together to provide adequate elevator protection, including fire sprinklers. Here’s more information about the use of sprinklers for elevator protection:
- In buildings where complete sprinkler coverage is required, sprinkler heads must be installed in motor rooms and pits.
- Sprinklers are not required at the top of passenger elevator hoistways if the car enclosure meets the requirements of ASME A17.1.
- Sprinklers are required in the pit of hydraulic elevators, and if hoistways are made of combustible construction and oil buffers are present.
Heat & Smoke Detectors for Elevator Protection
These devices serve the vital purpose of detecting fires and recalling elevators to a safe location when smoke and heat are detected. A17.1 and NFPA 72 codes and standards require automatic elevator recall when these detectors activate. Here’s more information about the use of heat and smoke detectors for elevator protection:
- Smoke detectors must be installed in elevator motor rooms and control spaces, and in elevator lobbies on each floor.
- Smoke detectors are only required in elevator hoistways if sprinklers are also present.
- Heat detectors are permitted when conditions aren’t suitable for smoke detectors.
Schedule Elevator Protection Services in New York
When you contact Fire Guys NY for elevator protection services, you’re working with a company that has over 25 years of experience serving New York businesses like yours. We are the best at what we do because our technicians are highly trained and fully qualified fire protection specialists.
The next time you need elevator protection services, trust our experienced team to deliver. Contact us online or call (631) 253-0138 to schedule services today.
Our Service Area: Bohemia, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, New York City, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Queens, Scarsdale, Staten Island, White Plains, Wyandanch, Yonkers, and the surrounding areas.
