rescue me - part one, rescue, or emergency evacuation elevators

PRESENTS

“Rescue Me”

Part One

Back in the day…

…everyone agreed…

…to use the stairs…

…and not the

elevators…

…in case of

fire.

Then came September 11, 2001…

…and we started to look at things differently.

Could more

lives be saved…

…if the elevators

were utilized

after all?

And what about people who can’t take the stairs?

Before 9/11, serious

consideration was not given to the idea that a whole building might have to

be evacuated at once.

Elevators were used for

fighting fires, not emergency

egress of occupants.

Flame, heat and water can

cause elevators to malfunction.

The possibility of elevator

system failure during

evacuation of occupants

seemed too big a risk.

But World Trade Center Two was able to evacuate 3000 occupants because they

used the elevator in the

16 minutes between the first

and second strikes.

As a result, World Trade Center Two had 108 survivors per minute, while

World Trade Center One had just 73 survivors

per minute.

It seemed elevators might help provide a safe and rapid means of egress in an emergency after all.

But if elevators weren’t

considered safe for emergency evacuation of

occupants before, why

would they be safe now?

Many have been considering that same question.

What have they come up

with?

Hardened Elevator Lobby

Fire Service Access ElevatorsIlluminated Hoistways

No Fire Sprinklers in Machine Rooms

Operator Interfaces

Appropriate Training

for Operators

Phase III Fire Service

Emergency Evacuation Elevator

Rescue Elevator

Hardened Elevator Lobby

Fire Service Access ElevatorsIlluminated Hoistways

Sheet Metal Covers on Car Tops

No Fire Sprinklers in Machine Rooms

Emergency Egress

Systems

Operator Interfaces

Appropriate Training

for Operators

Phase III Fire Service

Emergency Evacuation Elevator

Rescue Elevator

Hardened Elevator Lobby

Fire Service Access ElevatorsIlluminated Hoistways

Sheet Metal Covers on Car Tops

No Fire Sprinklers in Machine Rooms

Emergency Egress

Systems

Operator Interfaces

Appropriate Training

for Operators Separate

Machine Rooms Protection from Fire, Heat,

Smoke, Water, Power Loss and Overheating

Lobby Status Indicator

Functional Integrity and Survivability

Many sources, many suggestions!

The fire fighting

community has weighed

in…

…as well as the

elevator community.

It has been suggested

that elevators

could become “Electric

Lifeboats”…

…to be used for emergency evacuation of

occupants BEFORE the

arrival of first responders.

And perhaps operated by the

building occupants

themselves.

An illuminated green light and the message “ELEVATORS

AVAILABLE FOR OCCUPANT

EVACUATION”…

… would indicate that elevators are

operating normally even though a fire

alarm is active in the building.

An illuminated red light and the message “ELEVATORS

OUT OF SERVICE, USE

EXIT STAIRS”…

…would indicate elevators are in

Phase I emergency

recall and no longer available

for occupant evacuation.

Training in how to use the elevator system, and

practice drills to demonstrate

understanding, would seem necessary to

successful implementation.

The elevators and elevator lobbies would be “hardened” against both the effects of

catastrophes…

…and the effects of the means used to mitigate the catastrophe.

Protection against water…

…and smoke.

These will bring about changes in

the way buildings are planned and constructed.

When will these

changes happen?

And how will they affect

us?

No one is sure yet.

At HKA we’re keeping our ear to the ground.

Stay tuned...

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