atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Is there a special Elevator emergency phone service?

Hello.

I have a small building with an Elevator and the billing is being charged the same thing as a full phone service.

I was wondering if there a special phone service for these emergency phones that will probably never be used except for an emergency.

Seems like kind of a waste to be playing like $60 a month for something never used> Perhaps there is another option like some kind of VOIP solution?

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Not that I know of. Maybe it's never used but when it's needed it HAS to work. Matter of fact many jurisdictions want it to be copper so the reliability is there in case of a power failure- same as the primary fire system line. That rules out cable modems and VOIP.

-Hal

Where are you located? Who supplies the service for the elevator? The AHJ and the telecom supplier are the people who can give you the best answers...

Sam

You may want to call a telecom professional in your area. Viking Electronics makes a device that will allow you to share an existing line. If there is an emergency in the elevator, the device disconnects everything except the elevator phone and the outside line that is being shared.

Rcaman

1. Park City, UT
2. Centurylink

A single unused phone line is $68 after all the fees and taxes. $816 a year for a phone line that has not even made a single phone call in the last year.

It should be cheaper for me to buy a smart phone, add a line to my cell phone account and attach it with a steel cable in the elevator in case anyone needed to make an emergency call.

I have been in 2 houses with residential elevators and both of them had no phone. I wonder if there is any legal requirement in utah for the phone in the first place. If the power goes out, chances are the phone won't even work. Especially if they are tied into a PBX system in the office without a UPS.

I assume there is no requirement for a elevator phone in a private residence. A commercial environment is totally different.

(...If the power goes out, chances are the phone won't even work. Especially if they are tied into a PBX system in the office without a UPS....)

Which is exactly they should NOT go through a PBX.

A line sharing device is the best idea, Maybe you could share it with your alarm line.

Cost of doing business. If that phone is needed and ended up not working the lawsuit would be incredible.

Phone serves as a lifeline, I don't know why the government charges taxes on phone service as if its cigarettes or liquor.

Several buildings cost nearly $2,500 a year in elevator phone lines alone with maybe 0 phone calls in that year.

That money could be used to help starving children or something.

There really has to be another way(or if not, someone should make one)

Sounds like a good idea if a phone line is there already. I know that in one of the building, there is internet provided for the tenants however I am going to have to check on the phone/alarm in the building(if there is one at all). Its kind of an area where everyone leaves theirs doors unlocked.