There have been more technological equipment and code changes for elevators in the last five years than at any other time in recent history. There are now advanced elevators that travel both vertically and horizontally. There also is a new type of elevator called MRL, or machine-room-less. And with these smooth rides come new dangers to fire service personnel when extricating trapped passengers.

For example, many MRLs don't have a crosshead at the top of the hoist-way to hook a safety harness or rappelling line to in a rescue attempt. Some MRLs don't have cable-type ropes, but instead have flat, belt-like ropes, and rescuers can't hook a safety harness onto them or glide down the cables to the top of the elevator. MRLs have no machine room. There is only a small electrical closet, called a control room, that houses the electronic controller. The very small motor for the elevator is actually at the top of the shaft or attached to the side of the hoist-way wall. Many fire service personnel would not even recognize the motor unless were are trained to know exactly what to look for.

Do you have a basic knowledge of elevators? How much do you as a chief officer actually know about elevators, their safeties and their dangers? Do you ensure that training is provided to your fire inspectors, firefighters and rescue workers in elevator safety?

Consider these facts. There are approximately 600,000 elevators in the United States, or about 12,000 in each state. There are 120 billion rides on elevators and escalators each year. Out of those 120 billion rides, about 10,000 people end up in an emergency room due to elevator- or escalator-related accidents. These accidents are caused by tripping, by clothing getting caught, by being hit by closing elevator doors or by falling down an elevator shaft when trying to exit a stalled elevator car.

It's not just the general public who are injured or killed by elevators. Many times it is the very people who work on and around elevators. These include elevator installers and repairers, fire and rescue personnel who are called to extricate someone from a stalled elevator and even fire inspectors who may be injured when coming in contact with moving elevator equipment during the course of an inspection. The odds of a non-professional becoming stuck in a stalled elevator or injured by one are about once in a lifetime.

Per the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' A17.1, Elevator Safety, an elevator is a hoisting and lowering mechanism equipped with a car or platform, which moves in guide rails, and serves two or more landings. There are two types of elevators: passenger and freight.

Another type of elevating device is an escalator. Once in a while, the roller axles that hold the escalator stairs or steps in place may break and someone may fall partially into a moving escalator. This is particularly dangerous. When attempting to rescue someone who is being injured by a moving escalator, responders always should push the red stop button at the top or bottom of the escalator to shut down the escalator. In entrapment cases, rescuers should not restart an escalator without the escalator technician there. This expert can help prevent further injury.

There are two types of elevator machines used today to drive the elevators. Hydraulic machines don't have cables attached, but instead have a jack attached to the bottom of the elevator to lift it and lower it. Traction machines have cables attached at the top to hoist it upward and then lower it.

In a hydraulic elevator machine room, rescuers will find a controller and a tank full of hydraulic fluid, along with a pump and a line. This pumps fluid underneath the elevator into a cylinder. The fluid pushes a jack up out of the cylinder and lifts the elevator. When someone pushes a button to go down, the valve in the pump allows the fluid to flow back into the tank, thereby lowering the elevator back down. Traction elevators are driven by an electric motor in a penthouse usually located on the roof of the building. This electric motor has a pulley (drive sheave) attached, and there are usually three or more cables on it that are fastened to the elevator. In some older elevators, there may be only one cable.

When you see an elevator falling out of control on television, you always see a traction elevator; however, in reality the traction elevators have safeties on them that are supposed to bring the elevator to a stop in case of a free fall. There is a governor that activates the safeties if the elevator reaches 125% of its normal speed. If it is supposed to travel at 100 feet per minute, and it gets up to 125 feet per minute, the safeties should activate and stop the elevator within certain distances. Hydraulic elevators don't have these safeties, and they can and do fall. This might be due to a sudden catastrophic loss of pressure in the hydraulic fluid line or cylinder. This can happen in older elevators due to electrolysis or corrosion. Newer hydraulic elevators have their underground hydraulic cylinder covered with PVC and insulation to keep moisture away.

Elevators also have two sets of doors. First, there are the elevator car doors, which move up and down with the elevator and keep the passengers from falling out. Then there are the elevator hoist-way doors, which are at each landing and don't move with the elevator. They are opened by a device on the elevator once it has reached the floor landing. When attempting to rescue someone from an elevator, rescuers always should try to use the proper elevator hoist-way door key. Many times, fire service personnel just pry open the hoist-way door or cut it open with a saw. This is improper and dangerous because it can break and disable the hoist-way door interlock system. The interlock is an electrical/mechanical device that keeps the hoist-way doors latched when the elevator is not there. The interlock also turns off the elevator when triggered by an elevator hoist-way door key being inserted and turned. Rescuers wouldn't want the elevator to start moving when they have the hoist-way door open and are trying to rescue someone. This is why they should not disable the interlock.

Rescuers never should open an elevator shaft door and jump into the pit. It may be very deep, even at the bottom floor. Instead, rescuers should check the depth first and then use the proper ladder. There may be one attached to the wall inside the elevator shaft. Elevator pits are confined spaces, so rescuers should always use confined-space entry procedures when entering an elevator pit. This is especially true for sewer lift station elevators or man-lifts because of the methane and other poisonous gases that may be present.

When performing pre-fire inspections, inspectors should always be sure that access to the elevator machine rooms are clear and that nothing unrelated to the elevator is stored there. They also should find out where the property manager keeps the firefighter service keys and the key to the elevator machine room. This information should be noted in preplans for each building. Rescuers will need the service keys to restart the elevator during a fire to help fight the fire or to transport immobile victims.

If someone is trapped in a stalled elevator, the first thing rescuers will need to do (after paging the elevator repairer) is go to there and shut off the elevator main disconnect switch for a minute then turn it back on. This may correct the problem and allow the elevator to function properly. If this does not work, rescuers should shut off the main disconnect and leave it off during extrication activities.

Rescuers must be careful when entering an elevator machine room, especially during a fire. There are moving parts such as cables and drive sheaves that can cause injury or death. Also, elevators don't run on 110 volts. The voltage is much higher, around 480, and more dangerous. If the elevator machine room is sprinkled, there may be water either falling from the sprinkler head or standing on the floor. Rescuers should be aware of this and use caution if they are going to attempt to shut off the power to the elevator.

Rescuers always should follow the procedures outlined in the ASME A17.4, Emergency Personnel, when performing elevator rescues or operating elevators during fires. This guide contains exact procedures for safely extricating persons trapped in a stalled elevator and instructions for use of elevator fire-service systems during fires. Not following these proper procedures could be fatal.

Chiefs and training officers must properly train fire and rescue personnel in elevator safety. They need to be thoroughly familiarized with elevators and escalators, the equipment, the dangers, and the safety devices that could possibly save their lives and the lives of those they are attempting to rescue.

Brett Kilgore is a public safety professional with 30 years experience in the fire service and law enforcement. He has worked as a deputy state fire marshal in Knoxville, Tenn., a city fire marshal, and a police and fire instructor. He holds master's degrees in public administration and criminal justice, and has numerous professional certifications. Kilgore has released a new and updated Elevator Training Course for Fire and Rescue Personnel. For information, e-mail bkilgore6@charter.net.