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Elevator Phone Monitoring: Meeting Emergency Requirements

Posted on
Jan
23

Elevators are an essential part of modern buildings, providing an easy and convenient way for people to move between floors. However, as with any mechanical system, elevators can sometimes experience malfunctions or breakdowns, leaving passengers stuck inside. In these situations, it is crucial that passengers have a way to call for help and that building management can quickly respond to and resolve the issue. This is where elevator phone monitoring comes in.

At ELEVATE Monitoring, we understand the importance of having reliable and effective communication in the event of an elevator emergency. That’s why we offer a range of elevator phone monitoring solutions to meet the specific requirements of our clients.

Elevator Emergency Phone Requirements

According to original guidelines set by the National Elevator Industry, Inc., all elevators should be equipped with an emergency phone system that allows passengers to call for help in the event of an emergency. These systems should include:

  • A phone or intercom system that allows passengers to communicate with building management or emergency services
  • An indicator light or sign that alerts building management or emergency services to the location of the stuck elevator
  • A two-way speaker system that allows for communication between the elevator and building management or emergency services

In addition to these requirements, it is also important for elevator phone systems to be reliable and easy to use. Passengers should be able to clearly hear and speak to building management or emergency services, and building management should be able to quickly and easily locate and respond to the stuck elevator.

The Benefits of Elevator Phone Monitoring

There are numerous benefits to implementing an elevator phone monitoring system in your building. Some of the key advantages include:

  • Improved Safety: In the event of an elevator malfunction or breakdown, an effective communication system is crucial for the safety of passengers. With an elevator phone monitoring system in place, building management can quickly respond to and resolve any issues, ensuring that passengers are able to safely exit the elevator.
  • Increased Efficiency: By allowing building management to quickly and easily communicate with stuck passengers and resolve any issues, an elevator phone monitoring system can help to minimize downtime and keep elevators running smoothly. This can help to reduce the burden on maintenance staff and improve the overall efficiency of the building.
  • Enhanced Security: In addition to providing a way for passengers to call for help in an emergency, an elevator phone monitoring system can also enhance building security. With the ability to monitor and track elevator usage, building management can more easily detect and prevent potential security threats.

ELEVATE Monitoring: Your Trusted Provider of Elevator Phone Monitoring Solutions

At ELEVATE Monitoring, we are committed to providing our clients with reliable and effective elevator phone monitoring solutions. Our team of experts has extensive experience in the field and is dedicated to helping our clients meet all of their emergency communication requirements.

Whether you need to upgrade an existing system or install a new one, we have the knowledge and expertise to get the job done right. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you ensure the safety and security of your building with our top-quality elevator phone monitoring solutions.

Understanding the ASME Elevator Code Changes

Posted on
Dec
20
Understanding the ASME Elevator Code Changes

The newly revised edition of the ASME Elevator Code has introduced sweeping changes in several areas. Here is a quick overview of the most important requirements you should be aware of and what steps to take to make your elevators ASME-compliant.

What’s New in the ASME Elevator Code

The twenty-second edition of ASME A17.1-2019 (or CSA B44-2019, if you are in Canada) brought about numerous changes to elevator standards. Noteworthy modifications include updates to the following:

  • Door requirements for occupant evacuation and private residence elevators
  • Door protection requirements for passenger elevators
  • Seismic requirements for elevators and escalators
  • Emergency communication requirements to enable communication with hearing-impaired passengers

The New Elevator Code Communication Requirements

Currently, 95% of the one million elevators in the U.S. forward calls to anything from a traditional answering service to the cell phone of the elevator service company owner. None of these solutions are legal or up to code, but until now, there has been little enforcement.

The new elevator code aims to change that by standardizing communication requirements across the board and doubling down on enforcement.

All new elevators must now feature the following systems to better assist hard-of-hearing, nonverbal, or unconscious passengers and detect false alarms:

  • Two-way communication: New elevators must have a panel for sending two-way messages between passengers and the elevator monitoring company that doesn’t require audio communication.
  • Video elevator monitoring: Authorized personnel must be able to view a video feed of the elevator car at all times.

If an elevator has a rise of 60 feet or more, it must have both voice and video communication that can function with an internet connection.

An Elevator Monitoring Company You Can Trust

At ELEVATE MONITORING, we understand that many property owners and building managers find the recent ASME elevator code changes confusing.

How do you make your elevators code compliant? Where do you go for this type of monitoring?

You shouldn’t go through this alone. At ELEVATE MONITORING, our turnkey elevator monitoring solution builds on decades of expertise to bring you peace of mind. We are a UL-listed provider, and all our systems are fully ASME-, IBC-, and ADA-compliant with voice, video, and two-way text response functionalities. Our trained and certified operators are exclusively U.S.-based and available 24/7.

Call us at 1-877-990-9191 to tell us about your needs, learn more about our solutions, and get your elevators up to code.

Where Do Elevator Phones Call in an Emergency?

Posted on
Dec
12
Elevator Phones - Where do they call in an emergency

As a real estate owner or property manager, it’s your job to ensure that the elevator phones in your building call the right place in emergencies. The question is: What’s the best point of contact?

Elevator Phones That Call a Regular Office Line

If your elevator phones call an office telephone, you must ensure that the person answering the call:

  • Can identify the building and elevator location immediately
  • Understands the latest code requirements
  • Knows how to handle calls properly

Poorly trained operators endanger the safety of elevator users and increase your liability exposure. Elevator inspectors often press the call button and remain silent to see how operators handle the situation. If they don’t know the elevator location or follow code requirements, you’ll fail the test and incur high re-inspection costs.

Elevator Phones That Call 911

Phones that call 911 can dispatch help 24/7 in an elevator emergency. However, they can’t contact maintenance or property managers in non-emergencies and may get you in trouble with the police.

Several 911 dispatch centers have requested that elevator phones not call them directly, as they don’t want non-urgent calls or pranks clogging up their lines and wasting time.

One scenario would be that if someone activated the call button and walked out of the elevator, on purpose or inadvertently, the 911 service would have to dispatch help. If first responders arrive on site for nothing, you’d likely get a hefty fine.

Elevator Phones That Call an Elevator Monitoring Company

Your best option is to program elevator phones to call an elevator monitoring service like ours at ELEVATE MONITORING.

As soon as the button is pressed, it dials our toll-free 24/7 line. The system automatically identifies the elevator and building location and displays the contact information. The caller would speak with one of our operators who have extensive technical and interpersonal training to handle both emergencies and routine calls.

Our elevator phone monitoring service meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) plus International Building Code (IBC) code requirements. The system combines:

  • Voice communication
  • Video camera for better visibility
  • A two-way text response system for the hearing impaired

Elevator Phone Monitoring You Can Rely On

At ELEVATE MONITORING, we bring you the next step in the evolution of elevator emergency phones. We are UL-listed with trained, certified, and U.S.-based operators available 24/7. All our systems are fully ADA- and code-compliant.

Call us at 1-877-990-9191 to tell us about your needs and learn about our elevator phones.

Preparing for the New Video Elevator Monitoring Requirements

Posted on
Dec
9
Preparing for the New Video Elevator Monitoring Requirements

The most recent edition of the ASME elevator code introduced extensive modifications to emergency elevator monitoring and communication requirements. One of the most significant changes is the introduction of mandatory video elevator monitoring. Here is what you should know about it and how to bring your elevators up to code.

Important Updates to the New Elevator Code

In its most recent edition (22nd), ASME A17.1-2019 (or CSA B44-2019 in Canada) updated its communication and monitoring requirements to align them with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). As a result, all new elevator systems must now have:

  • A display message saying that help is on the way
  • A panel for two-way text communication between passengers and the elevator monitoring company
  • A way for emergency personnel to start a live video feed of the elevator car

Video Elevator Monitoring: What Is It, and Why Does It Matter?

The revised ASME A17.1-2019 finally addresses the fact that standard two-way emergency phones aren’t suitable for hard-of-hearing, nonverbal, and unconscious passengers. Even if they could press the call button, they would likely struggle to communicate with emergency personnel.

This is why the new code includes a long-overdue requirement for video monitoring of elevators. Authorized staff must be able to start a live video feed of the entire elevator car from their monitoring stations if they don’t hear a verbal response from a passenger. That should enable them to better assess the situation, including whether the call was a false alarm.

Note that for elevators with a rise of 60 feet or higher, ASME A17.1-2019 requires both voice and video communication that can function with an internet connection.

ELEVATE MONITORING: Code-Compliant Professional Monitoring Solutions

At ELEVATE MONITORING, we understand that the new elevator code can cause uncertainty and confusion for elevator owners. Approximately 95% of the one million elevators in the U.S. currently don’t meet the new communication and monitoring requirements.

The good news is that if you work with us at ELEVATE MONITORING, getting your elevators up to code will be easy. All our solutions feature video elevator monitoring and a two-way text response system. We are also UL-listed and fully ASME-, IBC-, and ADA-compliant. All our operators are trained, certified, available 24/7, and exclusively U.S.-based.

Get Your Elevators Up to Code Today

Call us at ELEVATE MONITORING at 1-877-990-9191 to tell us about your needs, learn more about our video elevator monitoring solutions, and get your elevators up to code.

Video Elevator Monitoring vs. Traditional Elevator Monitoring

Posted on
Dec
3
Video Elevator Monitoring vs Traditional Elevator Monitoring

In its latest revised edition, the ASME Elevator Code introduced mandatory video elevator monitoring. The requirement applies to all new elevators and major modifications going forward.

Here is how video monitoring solutions depart from traditional emergency phone systems and what to do to bring your elevators up to code.

The Issue With Traditional Elevator Phone Monitoring

The United States currently has around one million elevators. The vast majority have elevator emergency systems that support voice communication. While helpful in some cases, these phones aren’t suitable for passengers who are:

  • Deaf
  • Hard of hearing
  • Nonverbal
  • Speech-impaired
  • Unconscious

To ensure the safety of passengers with disabilities, elevator emergency systems must now include a broader range of monitoring and communication methods.

Video Elevator Monitoring: Understanding the New Elevator Code

The ASME A17.1-2019 has updated its monitoring requirements to align them with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Among other things, all new elevator installations and major modifications like rehabs and renovations must now have a two-way video communication system. This builds on a similar requirement in the International Building Code (IBC) of 2018.

The video doesn’t have to be running all the time, but emergency personnel must be able to start a live feed from their monitoring stations 24/7 if they don’t hear a response from a passenger. The feed must cover the entire elevator car, including the floor and any passengers.

In addition, the new visual communication systems must include these three components:

  • An adjustable camera with remote access
  • An LCD video display informing passengers of their rescue status and enabling operators to ask questions remotely
  • Physical YES-NO buttons for passengers to answer questions

ELEVATE MONITORING: ASME-Compliant Emergency Elevator Monitoring

Getting your elevators to meet all requirements of the new elevator code on your own can be challenging.

Fortunately, at ELEVATE MONITORING, a leading elevator monitoring company, we can help. All our solutions are fully ASME-, IBC-, and ADA-compliant and have video elevator monitoring in addition to other monitoring methods such as text-based and visual communication.

We are also a UL-listed provider that never outsources any part of our call-center services: Our operators are trained, certified, available 24/7, and exclusively U.S.-based.

Professional Monitoring of Elevators for Your Peace of Mind

Call us at ELEVATE MONITORING at 1-877-990-9191 to tell us about your needs, learn more about our emergency elevator monitoring services, and get your elevators up to code.

ASME Elevator Code Includes Video Monitoring Technology

Posted on
Nov
16
Video Monitoring Technology

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (AMSE) is an organization of experts that creates safety codes for various mechanical devices, including passenger elevators, escalators, moving walks, and other equipment.

Recently, an update to the ASME elevator code added several requirements to bring the code up to ADA standards, including:

  • A way for emergency personnel to view a video feed of the elevator car
  • A panel for sending two-way messages between the passenger and emergency personnel
  • A display message indicating that help is on site

New Elevator Code Revision To Meet ADA Standards

ASME A17.1-2019 requires a means to display a video so emergency personnel can observe the entire elevator car. A video feed enables emergency personnel to assess the situation inside the elevator, including whether a passenger is unconscious or nonverbal and whether the call was a false alarm.

The code also stipulates that new elevator installations must be able to send two-way messages so authorized personnel can communicate with trapped passengers who are nonverbal or hearing-impaired. The emergency personnel should be able to display a message indicating help is on the way, helping reassure passengers who cannot hear.

Video Elevator Monitoring System

The ASME A17.1 revision addresses the issue that the typical two-way emergency call system in elevators is not adequate for the hard of hearing. Even if the hard-of-hearing passenger presses the call button, emergency personnel will struggle to communicate with them. Without video, personnel won’t be able to assess the situation sufficiently.

The revised ASME elevator code requires that new elevator installations have a means for emergency personnel to observe a video feed of the elevator car. If an elevator rise is 60 feet or more, the code requires both voice and video communication that can function with an internet connection.

During an emergency, personnel can start a video feed if they do not receive a verbal response from the passenger. This technology allows agents to take appropriate action more quickly and reduces false emergency responses.

Emergency Elevator Monitoring by Trained Professionals

Most elevators still use a traditional emergency monitoring system, but the new elevator safety code requires video and a two-way messaging system. ELEVATE is a UL-listed monitoring facility with certified and trained operators available 24/7. We are one of the first agencies to integrate the technology required in the ASME 17.1 revision and provide cost-effective solutions to accommodate the new system.

Ready to become our partner in ensuring passenger safety? Click here to contact us today.

How To Select an Emergency Elevator Monitoring Company

Posted on
Nov
9
Emergency Elevator Monitoring Company

Monitored two-way communication is a requirement under the ASME Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. Despite the elevator safety standards, many of the elevators in the US have call buttons that forward to non-emergency personnel who aren’t available to answer 24/7. To ensure the safety of all passengers, it’s crucial to partner with a professional elevator monitoring agency.

Building on the ambitions of a former fireman, ELEVATE is a company that prioritizes life safety. This article highlights what to look for in an emergency elevator monitoring company.

Compliance With Latest ASME Elevator Code

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) determines the safety code for elevators, escalators, and other similar equipment. Recently, a revision introduced changes that elevate the code to meet ADA standards.

ASME A17.1-2019 introduces the following changes to the Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators:

  • Must have a means for emergency personnel to see a video feed of the elevator’s interior
  • Must have a two-way messaging system
  • Must display a message indicating that help is on the way

These safety requirements accommodate passengers who are nonverbal or hard of hearing, but many companies have not adopted these emergency communications systems into their monitoring service. At ELEVATE, we have integrated video and two-way messaging to provide a high-quality emergency monitoring system that meets the needs of all passengers.

Video Elevator Monitoring Capability

A traditional elevator emergency system includes a two-way elevator phone, and the passenger initiates a call by pressing a button on the operations panel. This communication method could be problematic for passengers who can’t speak or hear the person on the other end of the call.

With a video feed, emergency operators can quickly assess the situation and take the appropriate action without wasting valuable time. They can determine whether a passenger is unconscious or nonverbal or whether the call was an accident.

Adherence to Elevator Emergency Phone Requirements

The new elevator code mandates that emergency calls go to authorized personnel who can take appropriate action. Therefore, the person answering the phone should be certified and trained in handling emergencies. Our team at ELEVATE has years of experience in the emergency monitoring field and the TMA Five Diamond certification, ensuring life safety expertise.

Innovative Emergency Elevator Monitoring

At ELEVATE, we stay up to date on the latest elevator monitoring technology and changes in safety standards to provide leading-edge emergency elevator monitoring solutions.
To partner with our professional monitoring center, contact us.

New Elevator Code To Meet ADA Standards

Posted on
Nov
1
New Elevator Code

Whether because of true stories or action movies, many people fear elevators and the possibility of becoming trapped inside one. According to the ASME elevator code, all elevators must have a call button to contact personnel in an emergency. Until recently, however, there was no requirement for communications that accommodate non-verbal or hearing-impaired passengers.

ASME A17.1-2019 is a new elevator code that addresses this issue. The revision adds the following elevator code requirements to the ASME safety standards:

  • A two-way messaging display inside the elevator for hearing- and speech-impaired passengers
  • A way for emergency personnel to see a video feed of the entire elevator car
  • A message activated by emergency personnel indicating that help is on site

ASME Elevator Code Updates

According to the updated ASME A17.1, the push button next to the elevator operating panel must initiate a two-way call with authorized emergency personnel who can take appropriate action. A common problem in elevator emergencies is that the call button contacts non-emergency personnel who do not have the availability or means to take appropriate action, leaving passengers without help.

Another significant revision to the elevator safety code is that the panel with the emergency push button must display messages from authorized personnel so they can communicate with trapped passengers, including individuals who cannot communicate verbally or hear.

The panel must be able to display a message that help is on the way instead of the more common single-light indicator. The new message system will help reassure passengers during an emergency even if they cannot hear the call.

Finally, the elevator must have the means to display video to authorized personnel, allowing them to see trapped passengers anywhere in the elevator car. With video elevator monitoring, emergency personnel can assess the situation inside the elevator, including whether the passenger is injured, unconscious, or non-verbal.

A Safety Solution That Meets Your Needs

At ELEVATE, we take elevator passenger safety seriously and are one of the first agencies to comply with the new elevator code. We are an emergency elevator monitoring agency with certified personnel who are available to respond 24/7 and have comprehensive training in handling emergencies.

We have an ASME A17.1-2019 and ADA-compliant phone system that automatically identifies the exact location and specific elevator where the passenger is. Downtime is never an issue at our UL-listed monitoring facility because of our cutting-edge automation system and redundant infrastructure.

For more information about our professionally monitored system for elevator emergencies, contact us today!

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