Emergency Operations and Firefighters' Service

Emergency Operations and Firefighters' Service

Why This Topic Matters

Fire departments depend on elevator systems to move personnel and equipment quickly to upper floors. ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators establishes the exact requirements for firefighters' emergency operation so that every elevator in the country behaves the same way when a firefighter turns the key. As a pre-apprentice, you must know these requirements cold — both for the credential exams and because a mis-wired or mis-programmed firefighters' service can cost lives.

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Phase I Emergency Recall

Phase I removes the elevator from normal passenger service and returns it to a designated landing where firefighters can take control.

What triggers Phase I?

Phase I is initiated by either of two inputs:

• A smoke detector (or heat detector where allowed) located in the elevator lobby, hoistway, or machine room sends an automatic signal to the elevator controller.
• A three-position key switch in the lobby — marked OFF / BYPASS / ON — is turned to the ON position by authorized personnel.

Switch location and key type. The Phase I key switch must be located in the lobby at the designated landing — in most installations this is the main entry floor or the floor designated by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). The code specifies a standard key so that fire departments across the country carry one key that works in every building. This key is commonly called the FEO-K1 key, though you should always verify the key type specified for the installation you are working on.

What the car must do during Phase I:

1. The car stops at the next available floor if traveling away from the designated landing (it does not stop immediately mid-run if the doors are closed and the car is moving).

2. The car does not respond to landing calls or car calls.

3. The car travels to the designated landing, doors open fully, and the car remains parked with doors open.

4. The car stays out of service until Phase I is cancelled.

BYPASS position. If a particular lobby has an activated smoke detector that is faulty or in an area of known fire, the BYPASS position allows that floor's detector to be ignored so the elevator does not land on that floor. The car still recalls under signals from other detectors.

Multiple cars. In a group of elevators, all cars in the group must respond to Phase I simultaneously when a lobby detector activates. Each car has its own recall sequence.

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Phase II Manual Operation

Phase II gives a firefighter inside the car full manual control. The passenger control system is locked out; only the firefighter's key controls the car.

Initiating Phase II. A three-position key switch inside the car — marked OFF / HOLD / ON — must be turned to ON. This switch is typically located on the car operating panel.

Door behavior under Phase II:

• Doors do not open or close automatically.
• To open the doors, the firefighter must press and hold the Door Open button. Doors close when the button is released (or when the close button is held, depending on code edition — check the installed version).
• To close the doors and dispatch the car, the firefighter presses and holds the Door Close button while pressing a floor button. The car will not move unless the close button is held.
• This hold-to-run requirement ensures the firefighter is aware of door position before travel.

HOLD position. Turning the Phase II switch to HOLD keeps the car at the current landing with doors open. This is used when the firefighter needs to load equipment without the car traveling.

Car lighting. The code requires that the car have emergency lighting that activates automatically if normal car lighting power fails. The minimum illumination level must meet the code requirement so firefighters can operate in the car even if building power is disrupted.

Returning to normal service. Phase II ends when the key switch is turned to OFF. Phase I ends when the lobby switch is turned to OFF (and any automatic detector signals have cleared). Both must be reset before the elevator returns to passenger service.

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Emergency Power Operation

When normal building power fails, some elevators are connected to an emergency generator. ASME A17.1 requires that when the building switches to emergency power, elevators return cars to the designated landing one at a time (to avoid overloading the generator) and open their doors so passengers are not trapped. This is sometimes called automatic emergency terminal stopping or emergency power recall. Only a limited number of cars — as determined by available generator capacity — may be kept in service on emergency power. The AHJ and building owner designate which cars remain operable.

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Safety Points

• Never defeat or jumper firefighters' service circuits during maintenance without proper lockout/tagout procedures and coordination with the building and fire department.
• Always restore firefighters' service and verify correct operation before returning an elevator to service after any electrical work.
• If you observe that a Phase I or Phase II switch is keyed incorrectly, labeled incorrectly, or located at the wrong floor, do not leave the elevator in service — document the deficiency and report it immediately to the mechanic in charge.
• Wear appropriate PPE when working in machine rooms or hoistways during inspection of firefighters' service circuits.

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Reading the Code

When you study ASME A17.1 sections covering firefighters' emergency operation, separate the requirements into two categories:

1. Physical equipment requirements — switch location, key type, car lighting, door equipment.

2. Sequence-of-operation requirements — what the car must do, in what order, when Phase I or Phase II is activated.

This habit helps you write accurate deficiency reports and will serve you well on both the NEIEP/IUEC and NAEC CET credential exams.