Elevator firefighters’ emergency operation requirements come from ASME A17.1, the Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, with applicability driven by the International Fire Code and International Building Code.1The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. A17 Elevators and Escalators Offerings A compliant elevator has two things working together: Phase I, which automatically recalls cars to a designated landing when smoke is detected, and Phase II, which hands a single car over to a firefighter using a standardized key. Around those two functions sit a set of supporting requirements — dedicated smoke detectors, signage, standby power, monthly testing, and a written maintenance log — that a building owner has to keep in place to stay in compliance.
Which Buildings Have to Comply
The International Fire Code uses a travel-distance threshold. Any elevator that travels 25 feet or more above or below the main floor must have Phase I recall and Phase II in-car operation. New installations in buildings at or above that threshold have to meet the current edition of ASME A17.1. Existing elevators at the same travel distance have to meet ASME A17.3, the code covering existing installations. In practice, that captures most buildings taller than two or three stories.
High-rises carry additional obligations. The International Building Code requires buildings above a certain height to designate specific fire service access elevators with enhanced features, including dedicated standby power, pressurized lobbies, and two-way communication systems.2ICC. 2018 International Building Code Chapter 30 – Elevators and Conveying Systems These access elevators are meant to serve as a firefighting tool, not just a cleared shaft. Local jurisdictions adopt and sometimes amend these model codes, so exact thresholds can vary from one city to the next.
Phase I: Automatic Recall
Phase I is the automated half. When a dedicated smoke detector in an elevator lobby, in the hoistway, or in the machine room senses smoke, the fire alarm system signals the elevator controller, which cancels every existing floor call and sends all cars in the affected bank nonstop to a pre-assigned primary landing. Passenger buttons are ignored during the trip. When the car arrives, the doors open and stay open, taking the elevator out of public service.
If the detector that triggered recall is the one at or near the primary landing, sending passengers there would deliver them into smoke. The system diverts to a pre-programmed alternate floor in that case. The first detector signal received locks in the destination; a second detector activating on a different floor will not change the car’s route in flight. That prevents the car from bouncing around during a spreading fire.
Manual Recall
Firefighters may need to recall the cars before smoke reaches a detector. A key-operated switch in the main lobby, labeled “FIRE RECALL,” lets authorized personnel trigger Phase I by hand. The cars sit at the recall floor with doors open until the switch is reset or a firefighter activates Phase II. Under ASME A17.1, recall keys are limited to fire department personnel, elevator mechanics, and people specifically designated by the building owner.
Smoke Detectors for Recall
The detectors that trigger Phase I are not the building’s ordinary fire alarm detectors. NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, requires dedicated smoke detectors at specific points tied to the elevator: inside each elevator lobby positioned near the top of each elevator door opening, inside the hoistway, and inside the machine room. These wire directly to the elevator controller. A detector placed too far from the elevator doors may not sense smoke in time to recall the car before someone rides into a smoke-filled hallway.
Phase II: Firefighter Control Inside the Car
Once Phase I has cleared the bank, a firefighter can take direct control of one car through a three-position key switch inside the cab, typically labeled “FIRE OPERATION” with positions for off, on, and hold. Turning the switch on with the fire service key gives the firefighter sole command of the car. It will not respond to hall calls, automated dispatching, or lobby buttons while Phase II is active.1The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. A17 Elevators and Escalators Offerings
Door Operation
Doors work differently in Phase II, and the difference is deliberate. To open the doors, a firefighter presses and holds the door-open button with constant pressure until the doors fully retract. Release the button early and the doors automatically reclose. That lets a crew crack the doors partway to check for heat and smoke on the landing and let them snap shut if conditions are untenable. Closing works the same way: constant pressure until fully shut. The car will not move to another floor until the doors are completely closed, which acts as a mechanical safety check against travel with an open doorway.
The Hold Position
The third switch position parks the car at a floor with doors open and lets the firefighter remove the key. This is how a crew secures the car at a staging floor or fire floor while working. Nothing else can call or move the car while the switch is in hold. To move again, a firefighter reinserts the key and returns the switch to the on position. The hold position keeps a detector signal or another responder from accidentally sending the car away while a crew depends on it as an exit.
The Shunt Trip and the Flashing Fire Hat
Many installations include a shunt trip breaker that cuts main power to the elevator when heat detectors near the hoistway or machine room sense that sprinkler discharge is imminent. The point is to keep water off energized electrical equipment in the shaft. The consequence is that a shunt trip stops the car wherever it happens to be, including between floors, with no warning and no way to reverse it from inside the cab.
A firefighter in Phase II has no control over the shunt trip. If it activates mid-travel, the car stops and the crew is stuck in the shaft. The breaker can only be reset manually from the machine room, which may itself be compromised. Car lights and the communication system usually stay up on separate circuits, but the car will not move until power is restored by hand.
The visual warning is the fire hat indicator inside the cab. Steady illumination means Phase I or Phase II is running normally. A flashing fire hat means smoke or heat has been detected in the hoistway or machine room, precisely where a shunt trip originates. The instruction printed on the control panel is direct: exit the elevator. A firefighter seeing a flashing indicator has to choose between manually opening the doors at the nearest floor and getting out, or trying to return the car to the recall floor and risking a shunt trip in flight. Most fire service training treats the flashing indicator as a directive to exit immediately.
Keys, Indicators, and Labeling
A standardized key matters because firefighters respond across jurisdictions using equipment from different manufacturers. ASME A17.1-2007 codified the FEO-K1 as the universal fire service key, and it has remained the standard since. One key fits the Phase I recall switch in the lobby and the Phase II in-car switch in any compliant elevator, regardless of manufacturer. Buildings that cannot accommodate the standardized cylinder in their existing switch assemblies must provide a secure access box, commonly called a Knox Box, at each elevator bank near the lowest level of fire department access, holding the building’s specific fire service keys.
Switch panels for both Phase I and Phase II must be clearly labeled with engraved text in contrasting colors (typically red) with lettering at least a quarter-inch high. These components sit behind a locked panel or inside the main elevator control station to prevent tampering. The fire hat indicator communicates status at a glance: steady means normal fire service operation; flashing means smoke or heat where a shunt trip originates and warns of possible power loss.
Signage and Lobby Communication
Every elevator lobby must display a sign telling occupants not to use the elevator during a fire. The standard wording required by the International Fire Code is: “IN FIRE EMERGENCY, DO NOT USE ELEVATOR. USE EXIT STAIRS.” The sign goes adjacent to each elevator call station on every floor, in contrasting colors large enough to read under stress. Buildings where the elevator forms part of an accessible means of egress for people with mobility impairments may follow modified signage rules.
Protected elevator lobbies often serve as areas of refuge for occupants who cannot use stairs. Those lobbies are required to have two-way communication systems connecting to the building’s fire command center so that people waiting for rescue can receive status updates.3National Institute of Standards and Technology. Protected Elevators for Egress and Access During Fires in Tall Buildings
Standby Power
An elevator that loses power during fire service operations becomes an immediate problem. The International Building Code requires that wherever standby power is provided or required for elevators, it must be manually transferable to all elevators in each bank.2ICC. 2018 International Building Code Chapter 30 – Elevators and Conveying Systems Single-elevator buildings must automatically transfer to standby power within 60 seconds of a normal power failure. Buildings with multiple elevators on a common system must also transfer within 60 seconds if the standby source can run all cars at once.
When the standby source cannot handle every car simultaneously, the code requires sequencing: all elevators transfer to standby power in turn, return to the designated landing, and disconnect. After every car has been brought down, at least one elevator must remain operable on standby power.2ICC. 2018 International Building Code Chapter 30 – Elevators and Conveying Systems Designated fire service access elevators in high-rises face stricter rules: their elevator equipment, hoistway lighting, car lighting, and machine room ventilation all have to be connected to both normal and standby power sources.
Monthly Testing and Records
ASME A17.1 requires Phase I and Phase II operations to be tested monthly. A Phase I test activates the recall switch and confirms the car returns to the designated landing with doors open. If the building has detectors at the alternate recall floor, those get tested to verify the car diverts correctly. A Phase II test involves entering the car, activating the in-car switch, and confirming that floor selection, door-open hold, door-close hold, and the hold position all function. Skipping any one step leaves a gap that could trap a firefighter during an actual emergency.
What the Logbook Has to Contain
Building owners must keep written records of all elevator maintenance, including fire service testing. The logbook has to document the description and date of each maintenance task, the results of examinations and tests, the dates and details of any trouble calls or callbacks with the corrective action taken, and written findings from firefighters’ service operation testing. Logs are kept in the machine room, or at another location in the building identified by a sticker on the elevator controller, and retained for a minimum of six years.
Current records matter beyond inspections. If a fire service system fails during an actual fire, the logbook is the first document investigators will pull, and gaps in it shift the narrative from equipment malfunction to owner neglect.
Who Performs Inspections
Monthly functional tests are typically handled by licensed elevator mechanics or trained building safety staff. Annual and five-year comprehensive inspections generally require a Qualified Elevator Inspector certified under the ASME QEI-1 standard.4Qualified Elevator Inspector Training Fund. Become an Inspector Government inspection fees for annual elevator safety reviews typically range from $20 to $225 depending on the jurisdiction.