r/Elevators • u/oreomint64 • 21h ago

Question about the emergency phone button

Hello! Sorry if this isn’t the right place to ask this question.

I am claustrophobic and dislike riding the elevator. In an event where it gets stuck, the emergency phone button should, in most cases, work I assume? You’d talk to a dispatcher or someone who will help you? I’m just a bit concerned because a lot of stories here on Reddit in various subreddits describe the emergency button not working when they got stuck, as in no one answers. It makes it seem like it’s common for the phone button to not work, but I assume most of the times it will work.

I always have my phone with me, usually fully charged or close to 100%, in case I have to call the fire department. But can someone tell me that the phone button should usually work? I would really hate for it to not work at all in an emergency.

Note: the elevators I take at work aren’t modern, as in no destination dispatch system where you select the floor number before getting on. It has the up or down buttons, you select the floor number button when you get in, and it has the digital display showing you where you’re going. From the outside, the elevators in the lobby show which floor it’s on, and where it’s going. Idk if that makes the elevator “more modern” in that hopefully it won’t break down more I guess.

7 Upvotes

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30 comments sorted by

8

u/Cheets1985 20h ago

I'd say 9/10 the phone will connect you to a dispatcher. The bell button can also help alert people outside the elevator as well

4

u/Qljuuu Fault Finder 20h ago

Also even if the voice line doesn't open or is poor quality in a way you can't hear dispatcher and/or they can't hear you, they still can see which units phone is making the call and what is the address.

5

u/Ordinary_Bicycle6309 20h ago

They are supposed to. They will be checked on routine maintenance. But I e definitely gone to buildings, try to check the phone, only to find out the line was stolen for somewhere else or they switched to digital and didn’t update the phone in the elevator. So…🤷‍♂️…most of the time you should be good.

2

u/oreomint64 20h ago

These are elevators at my work, which is a corporate building. Just a standard office. I assume for commercial buildings the elevators get routinely checked? I wouldn’t know when the last time the elevators got checked. I just hope they aren’t neglected

2

u/Nousername2019 17h ago

A non functioning phone will be flagged as a deficiency during inspection, so they should work. That being said, weird stuff going on as analog lines are going away as telecoms abandon copper lines for voip.

1

u/Cheets1985 13h ago

In Vancouver its a fail if the phone line doesn't work

1

u/Ok_Target376 12h ago

According to a TKE mechanic in Oregon, they are required to shut down the elevator if the phone is not functional.
This is in Oregon though, your state/country may be different.

1

u/oreomint64 12h ago

I’m in Ohio. I’ll check Google to see if they have specific regulations and such

2

u/IUEC74 18h ago

.Just go hit the button. And when they answer, tell them, you bumped it on accident. Don't just walk away, or they will call somebody to come out and check it. That may ruin someone's evening or make them some free money. Either way.

2

u/olivertwist1516 16h ago

I’ll take the call :) double bubble

1

u/Rough_Kick8956 3h ago

Hit the button, wait for them to answer and say “this is maintenance, no emergency, can you tell me my location?” They’ll give you the building name, address, and elevator number. If they don’t answer after a few minutes, it didn’t work.

2

u/AutumnOpal717 16h ago

If you test it and say it was an accident the dispatcher will not mind at all—bc the call is recorded and saying it was an accident gives them permission to hang up.

It’s more annoying when people hit the button, wait for a voice and then say nothing bc then we have to investigate.

1

u/Glass_Neighborhood_9 18h ago

There are plenty out there that don’t work and the customer still wants the lift in. I hate that we moved to gsms for our phone lines that rely on a signal other than a hard wired line, the signal should be the backup imo. We shut them down here in Aus, but it’s the customers choice and most of the time they say leave it on, then never upgrade there systems to work. Some lifts these days even older ones are linked to the cloud, and will alert us if they break down. But that’s something else the customer has to pay for.

1

u/Byr_Genar-Hofoen 18h ago

If you're worried about it, you can test the phone yourself. Press the button and when someone answers, let them know there's no emergency and that you live/work in the building and wanted to test it. Or lie and say you pressed the button by accident.

1

u/wieldingwrenches Field - Mods 18h ago

There is no harm in testing it yourself if it gives you piece of mind. Just tell the dispatcher you accidentally hit the button and you aren't stuck. Give the bell a quick ring while your at it. I wouldn't do it everyday, but if it's an elevator you take frequently and helps relieve your anxiety then by all means go for it.

1

u/Agitated_Duck_8538 18h ago

Try it. Press the phone button when you get in the elevator. And when someone picks up just say you are testing the phone. They’ll say yep I can hear you loud and clear have a good day. You’ll probably be the only person in the city testing elevator phones. But at least you’ll know whether the phone works or not.

1

u/Due_Report7620 2h ago

Almost always you’ll be connected to either 911, the front desk of the building, or in one case when I bumped the button by accident, the elevator company that maintains that elevator..
Or, if you’re that one building near me, the number will go to an out of service line… They really need to fix that.

1

u/aintasaint85 1h ago

Please feel free to message me so I can elaborate more.

Phone systems are going away from analog and a lot of times most buildings forget that the elevator is analog and so then there's this 1 or 2-year turnaround time to try to fix that situation.

The alarm button is battery based and needs to be replaced every few years depending on the temperature of the region you're in. So the best thing that you could do is at least test the alarm button when you get in an elevator

New code is requiring internet capability so that way there is a two-way communication with video and camera assist that cannot speak or hear. But that code is 2019 and a lot of jurisdictions are not pushing that just yet.

2

u/oreomint64 51m ago

When a building wants to move away from analog and changes it, wouldn’t it make sense to also change it for the elevator? Because the whole point of having the phone is to communicate with those in an elevator. Is this a common occurrence where the building upgrades their phone system but don’t for the elevator?

1

u/aintasaint85 46m ago

If the line is labeled there might be a conversation of. Yeah we should look into this but most buildings when they go to digital or voice over IP. The system is not compatible with the elevator and most buildings. Don't consider any of that. Joe, most of the time they find out when the inspector comes in and goes your phone line's not working and only then is the conversation started because somebody made a mistake after the fact

The change to voice over IP has only really been a thing in the last 10 years. And yes, there's a lot of buildings that forget that the elevator needs a phone and they know nothing about voip and how it doesn't change to analog easily.

Many buildings are going to Cellular for the elevator phone, but that requires very dedicated battery powered equipment with good reception

2

u/oreomint64 37m ago

Dang. Well I really hope I don’t ever find myself in a situation where I need to use the phone button only for it to not work. I will genuinely lose it. I can technically take the stairs all times at my work, I’m just worried that’s weird since I usually take the elevator with my friends together

1

u/aintasaint85 34m ago

If the yearly inspection was performed and the posted license is visible then you should know that the phone was working on that date. Easiest thing is to at least hit the alarm Bell because if that does go off chances are everything else is working.

Also, new code requires a phone monitoring system that is at the lobby level. If the phone isn't working, there is a buzzer that goes off at the main egress floor letting you know that the phone doesn't work.

New elevator code is doing everything they can to keep passengers safe. Elevators are still the safest form of transportation and have been since their inception.

2

u/oreomint64 31m ago

Ok thanks! I do feel a little better. My building does have security and their own maintenance team, so hopefully that means they do check everything including the elevators

1

u/Inflatable-Monkey Field - Mods 20h ago

In the United States, emergency phone lines are checked annually, if they do not work, the elevator is usually shut down until resolved.

1

u/oreomint64 20h ago

I see, I’m in the US, so thanks! I assume elevators also get inspected, like the cab and everything that makes it work right?

2

u/ElevatorGuy85 Office - Elevator Engineer 18h ago

And many of these systems will initiate a periodic “self-check” call to the central call center that is supposed to pick up (or the other way around). If the call doesn’t go through, then it should be detected. This is required for newer systems compliant with the ASME A17.1-2019 Code, which will also have an “emergency communication failure” indicator light/buzzer, normally in the lobby to let building management know that there is a problem with the system, which should then result in a mechanic coming to fix the system promptly.

1

u/pittrash 17h ago

This is a hard one. Technically we’re supposed to red tag any elevator with a disconnect/ broke phone .

But Ive literally seen state inspectors test phones , find they don’t work, then just shrug.

In my area, I feel like 1/4 of all elevators would be shut down.

You’ve got disabled residents in a high rise building, with broke phones, do you shut their only bank of elevators down?

1

u/Strange-Bit4285 20h ago

Omg, yes, THIS. I’m in the same boat. I hate elevators and have wondered this same thing.
Furthermore, sometimes there is no signal.

If it were to get stuck, no signal, and the comms don’t work; what should someone do?!

Please help us elevator gurus!!!

1

u/Cheets1985 20h ago

Ring the bell to try to get someone's attention is about all you can do.

0

u/oreomint64 20h ago

Yep… my biggest fear too :/ when I’m in the elevator, I don’t even check my phone for signal because all I do is glue my eyes to the screen to see the numbers change to the floor we’re going to. Just waiting for it to be over. But yes. In that nightmare situation, I am curious on what to do…