atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Elevator phone question

Actually it is Marv. It is listed under the T.S.S.A. which governs elevator installation.

I had to take a course under the TSSA because I was doing cameras for gas bars and they covered this too.

If it is a new installation, we can rough in the cable. Once their techs start installing equipment in that room, it is off limits to us. There is something in there even about the lock on the mechanical room door has to be keyed different to prevent unauthorized access.

last time I checked the codes here it requires that it auto dial to a 24/7 manned phone number like 911 if the building is staffed 24/7 then it can ring to a inside station that is always answered.

Thanks a bunch fellows. So who would anyone need to contact?.................The local fire marshall?

And here is another question. We rewired a small hospital (3 floors) a few months back............an they didn't even have phones in the elevators at all. How do they get by with that? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Mike:

I don't know how they got away with it, but I would sure make the phone calls to the local town, city or county offices. You can't risk the fact that you wired the place making you responsible. You know what I am saying; "it was working fine before you touched it" or "there was a phone in that elevator cab before you rewired us". Legal expense to defend yourself can be devistating.

I made a few calls today to local jurisdictions and got a big fat nothing as far as answers. I am hoping someone here will chime in with the real answer since I am now perplexed as well.

We've done it several different ways as well. However, I would not just make it a hotline off of the switch that rings all phones. What if the janitor got locked in one night and he was the only one there?

Until a few years ago there were many elevators in Maine without phones. A child got trapped between the doors of elevator and killed part of the law suit included no more grandfathering of old elevators. I installed more elevator phones that year then all other years combined

On the plack in the elevator should by the number to the monitoring/installing company. If its there I would call them.

I know this much all of the elevators I have done required a pots line (no ata) because of the hot dial programmed in to it. It is no different than an alarm system as far as the code for this area. I have three 1 floor elevators that were on ata's and the fire marshal when inspecting made it very clear to us about having pots.

It's better to be safe than sorry

I believe it is the building managements responsibility to test the elevator phones daily & then report one that is not working. This is how we find out there is a problem. I have seen everything here in Houstons high rise's from slt ports to dialers on pots lines...
Usually, the building managemant does'nt even know what's on them!

Waine, how often do you need an elevator for a 1 floor building? Must be different in Texas...

:dance:

Ed, even the NEC does not address this --- it is a local jurisdiction thing all the way. In KC, MO. that meant whatever the inspector wanted. And the city inspected annually.

Here in the prison city, no one cares, no one inspects, "Oh, you want a phone?", the city inspector says it's the owner's problem.

Ain't being in business just too much fun --- more legal hassles than it can be worth at times.

KLD.