Elevator & Escalator Emergencies

Question 1

A _____ is an electro-mechanical device used to prevent the elevator from moving when the car is at rest and no power is applied to the hoist motor

Answer 1

Brake

Question 2

The ______ stops a descending car or counterweight from moving beyond its normal limit by storing or absorbing and dissipating the car or counterweight’s kinetic energy

Answer 2

Buffer

Question 3

A ____ __________ _______is a panel mounted inside the car containing the car operating controls

Answer 3

car operation station

Question 4

This chain balances an elevator car’s load. The hollow, black flexible tubes are filled with solid metal balls and are connected to the elevator car and the counterweights. The weight of these cables balances the elevator car’s load

Answer 4

Compensation chain

Question 5

A __________ is a device or group of devices that control the direction, speed, and safety mechanisms on the elevator

Answer 5

controller

Question 6

The _______ ____ is an enclosed space outside the hoistway that is intended for full-body entry and contains the motor controller. The room may also contain electrical or mechanical equipment used in conjunction with the elevator, dumbwaiter, or material lift, but not with the electric driving machine or hydraulic machine.

Answer 6

control room

Question 7

The ________ _____ can be located inside or outside the hoistway. It contains the motor controller and is intended to be entered with or without full-body entry. This space may contain the electrical or mechanical equipment used in conjunction with the elevator, dumbwaiter, or material lift, but not the electric driving machine or hydraulic machine.

Answer 7

control space

Question 8

The_____________ is a set of weights roped directly to the elevator car in a winding drum installation. In practice, this weight equals approximately 70% of the car’s weight. It is designed to reduce the work required by the electric motor to move the elevator car.

Answer 8

counterweight

Question 9

The ____ ________is a motor-driven device mounted on the top of the car that opens and closes the car and hoistway doors

Answer 9

door operator

Question 10

The is the cylindrical keyhole on the hoistway door that elevator drop keys pass through to reach the hoistway door locking mechanism.

Answer 10

escutcheon tube

Question 11

This switch is located in the elevator shaft. It prevents the elevator from descending or ascending too low or too high in the shaft

Answer 11

Final limit switch

Question 12

This term refers to the area of the hoistway that extends from a
point 18 in. below and 18 in. above the landing.

Answer 12

Landing zone

Question 13

This is an electrical disconnect usually found inside the machine room near the entrance door (see Figure 12). Pulling the side lever down removes all operating power from the elevator.

Answer 13

Mainline disconnect

Question 14

Four types of hoisting mechanisms are associated with elevators?

Answer 14

Hydraulic, traction, climbing & pneumatic

Question 15

________ _________ have piston support at the bottom that pushes the elevator up as an electric motor forces hydraulic fluid into the piston. The elevator starts moving as the piston releases the fluid through the valve. Have a maximum travel speed of 200 ft per min and are typically installed in low-rise buildings with two to eight floors.

Answer 15

Hydraulic elevators

Question 16

________ ________ cars are raised and lowered by rolling steel ropes over a deeply grooved pulley, commonly called a sheave. A counterweight balances the weight of the car. The counterweight makes the elevator more efficient by offsetting the weight of the car and occupants, thereby reducing the weight the motor must move.

Answer 16

Traction elevator

Question 17

Hydraulic elevator machine rooms are most often located close to the associated elevators on the?

Answer 17

Ground floor or basement

Question 18

Traction elevator machine rooms are usually located ________ _____ the hoistway of the elevator they serve.

Answer 18

directly above

Question 19

These belt-driven elevators utilize a gearless drive to move the elevator within the hoistway.
Some installations provide little or no access to the hoisting mechanisms due to their location
within the hoistway. Elevator control rooms can be installed anywhere in a building and do not typically utilize
locations common to older style elevators.

Answer 19

Machine-roomless (MRL) elevators

Question 20

A ________ is an enclosed vertical area through which an elevator car travels to reach multiple
building levels

Answer 20

hoistway

Question 21

The bottom of a hoistway is known as the pit. No personnel should enter the pit unless ?

Answer 21

power to
all elevators in the hoistway has been disconnected

Question 22

If an elevator stalls in a hoistway blind and cannot be lowered, departments should request a ?

Answer 22

technical rescue response

Question 23

________ ______ _______ is an elevator operating mode that overrides normal service and
automatically moves elevator cars to predetermined floors, allowing any passengers to exit

Answer 23

Emergency recall service (ERS)

Question 24

When _____ _ is activated, elevator cars return to the lobby level or a terminal floor. If the alarm
is activated from one of these locations, the car will go to a predetermined alternate landing with
a means of egress. Elevator cars traveling away from the lobby level when _____ _ is activated
will reverse direction at the next landing without opening their doors.

Answer 24

Phase 1

Question 25

An elevator car’s interior ERS switch has
three positions:

Answer 25

 “off” is the normal nonemergency operation;
 “on” allows the car to operate in Phase 2 ERS, and
 “hold” keeps the elevator car at a landing with the doors opened

Question 26

If an elevator car’s ____ ______ ____ __ ________the car has received a smoke detector activation
from the elevator machine room, hoistway, or pit. Personnel should not use elevators in that
hoistway.

Answer 26

fire helmet icon is flashing,

Question 27

Prior to utilizing the elevator for fires on upper floors, crews must ______ ___ _________ _______(e.g., door-open, door-close, floor selection, cancel) to ensure the elevator is operating correctly.

Answer 27

engage all elevator functions

Question 28

When the “call cancel” button is engaged, the
elevator car stops at the ?

Answer 28

next available floor landing.

Question 29

Code requirements for high-rise buildings more than ___ __ high include the installation of fire
service access elevators (FSAE). These elevators facilitate the rapid deployment of firefighters to
upper floors to reduce the reflex time required for personnel to reach those areas and begin fire
suppression operations.

Answer 29

120 ft

Question 30

Upon arrival, officers should size up the incident by?

Answer 30

 obtaining elevator keys if available,
 identifying the type of elevator involved,
 locating the position of the car relative to the hoistway opening,
 establishing communication with the elevator passengers,
 determining passengers’ number and health status, and
 requesting additional resources based on size-up and department standard operating
procedures.

Question 31

LOTO

Answer 31

lockout/tagout

Question 32

When the officer has confirmed the car is motionless, has exhausted all previously described attempts to remove the occupants with the power on, and has determined a rescue should be performed, they must adhere to the following sequence of actions to ensure the occupants’ safe
removal:

Answer 32

 Attempt to perform a hard reset of the system. This involves removing power via the
mainline disconnect and waiting 30–60 s and then turning power back on to the system.

 Shut down and secure power to the stalled elevator.
 Access the hoistway.
 Access the stalled car.
 Assist occupants out of the stalled car.
 Secure the scene to prevent further use of the problematic elevator.

Question 33

To ensure this power stays off, personnel must
padlock the switch to lock out the mainline disconnect breaker. This procedure is commonly referred to as LOTO. If no padlock is available, a member with a radio should?

Answer 33

remain
at the panel until the rescue has been completed

Question 34

There are two power sources for each elevator. The _______ __________, which
delivers power to the driving motor, is usually found inside the machine room near the entrance
door. The other power source is an _______ ______, which delivers power to the car lights, fan, and sound system.

Answer 34

mainline disconnect, auxiliary system

Question 35

The poling procedure requires personnel to operate around open elevator shafts,
presenting
significant fall hazards and the need for life safety considerations. Full-bodied harnesses and lifelines should be utilized when a fall hazard of ?

Answer 35

6 ft or more exists.

Question 36

When an elevator car platform is more than _ __ _____ ___ ______ , it is inadvisable to remove
passengers from the car

Answer 36

3 ft above the landing

Question 37

If a stalled elevator car platform is positioned within 3 ft above or below the landing level, personnel should take the following actions:

Answer 37

 Confirm mainline disconnect LOTO procedures have been completed.
 Block any hoistway opening beneath the car with a ladder or similar object if a gap
exists.
 Open the car door.
 Enter the car and engage the emergency stop switch (if equipped).
 Assist passengers out of the car.

Question 38

It should be noted that ERS will not work if a heat detector alarm is received for the?

Answer 38

elevator machine room or hoistway

Question 39

Prior to using an elevator during fire operations, personnel should ensure the following:

Answer 39

 All recalled elevators are clear of passengers.
 The hoistway is clear of fire, smoke, and water.
 All personnel riding in the elevator are equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus
(SCBA).
 A minimum of one crew member is equipped with a radio.
 A set of forcible entry tools is available for use.
 Phase 2 ERS is activated.
 The elevator is not overloaded.

Question 40

Personnel should use an ERS key to manipulate the ERS switch to an “on” position and then
press the door-close button. Personnel should then select a floor that is ___ __ ___ _____ _____ _____ _______ _______. The car should stop at the selected floor. If the car fails to do so, personnel
should press the?

Answer 40

one or two levels above
their current location, stop button.

Question 41

If an elevator car stalls while personnel are en route to a fire on an upper floor, the following
procedures should be followed:

Answer 41

 Check the emergency stop button, engage, and reset to normal position.
 Prepare to don SCBA, but do not go on air until conditions require it.
 Communicate the situation to Command. If conditions require it, transmit a Mayday.
 Attempt to open the car door. If hoistway doors are close, consider escaping to a floor
landing.

Question 42

Normally, fires in the elevator pit are small in nature. The first-arriving engine can bring a
________ ____ __________ along with the standpipe pack to address a pit fire. However, hydraulic elevator pit fires involving hydraulic fluid require ?

Answer 42

portable water extinguisher, a Class B extinguisher or a foam
line.

Question 43

Escalators present the possibility for two types of entrapment emergencies.

Answer 43

a body
part becomes caught by an unforgiving tread & clothes or shoes getting caught in the treads.