Chapter 4 - Elevators

Question 1

What are the two basic types of elevators?

Answer 1

Hydraulic and traction

Question 2

How are elevators differentiated?

Answer 2

The manner in which they are lifted and lowered through their shafts.

Question 3

How are hydraulic elevators lifted?

Answer 3

On a piston which travels within a cylinder and is driven by hydraulic fluid.

Question 4

What does the length of the piston determine?

Answer 4

How high the elevator can be lifted.

Question 5

Hydraulic elevator service is normally limited to how many stories?

Answer 5

Five or six stories.

Question 6

Traction elevators have multiple what?

Answer 6

Wire hoisting ropes.

Question 7

What is the primary purpose of the extra ropes?

Answer 7

To increase traction on the sheave.

Question 8

Where are hoisting motors and traction sheaves located?

Answer 8

Elevator machine room.

Question 9

Where are traction elevator machine rooms located?

Answer 9

Typically one or two floors above the top floor served by the car.

Question 10

What are the two levels of elevator machine rooms used for on older elevators?

Answer 10

One for hoisting motors and one for motor generators.

Question 11

All elevators have identifying numbers located where?

Answer 11

Inside the elevator cabs.

Question 12

What is located in the elevator machine room?

Answer 12

The controller.

Question 13

How many electrical disconnects are there for every elevator?

Answer 13

2

Question 14

What are the electrical disconnects for in every elevator? (2)

Answer 14

One for high voltage hoisting motor.

Smaller one for elevator lights, fans and door opening motor.

Question 15

When killing power to rescue someone from a stalled elevator only which motor should be disconnected?

Answer 15

The hoisting motor.

Question 16

If there is a fire in an elevator cab firefighters should disconnect which breaker?

Answer 16

Both

Question 17

To prevent exposure to open hoist ways hoist way doors _____ be pushed open from the outside.

Answer 17

Cannot

Question 18

What is the range within which the opening car door can unlock and open the hoist way door?

Answer 18

The landing zone.

Question 19

If a hoist way door is open anywhere in a hoist way the elevator ____.

Answer 19

Shouldn’t be able to run

Question 20

What does opening the car door of a moving elevator do?

Answer 20

Should immediately stop that elevator.

Question 21

Most modern elevators provide a two-way communication system that provides a link where?

Answer 21

With the building security office or a security desk in the lobby

Question 22

When do all elevators stop?

Answer 22

Usually when primary power is lost.

Question 23

When all elevators in each bank have returned to the lobby, what happens?

Answer 23

The last elevator down in each bank retains power in his operational.

Question 24

If the fire is below what floor it’s generally best to use the stairs rather than elevators?

Answer 24

Below the 8th floor or so.

Question 25

What is the safest policy for high-rise firefighters and elevators?

Answer 25

Avoidance of elevators.

Question 26

There is no more dependable agent of fire company disintegration than what?

Answer 26

A long stair climb.

Question 27

What are the three modes of elevator operation.

Answer 27

1. Automatic Operation 2. Independent Service Operation 3. Fire Service Operation.

Question 28

In what mode does the elevator no longer respond to floor calls and travels only to the floors the operator requests?

Answer 28

Independent service mode.

Question 29

Where is the switch located to activate independent service?

Answer 29

Behind a locked panel door in each elevator.

Question 30

What mode does the elevator go only where the operator wants and the doors automatically open fully upon arrival?

Answer 30

Independent service.

Question 31

What takes elevators away from building occupants, gives firefighters complete control and the doors do not open automatically?

Answer 31

Fire service operation.

Question 32

What phase is the function that recalls elevators to the lobby?

Answer 32

Phase 1 (Recall).

Question 33

Automatic recall is activated by what?

Answer 33

The fire alarm system.

Question 34

When what happens does the alarm system put all elevators in the affected elevator zone into phase 1?

Answer 34

When smoke is detected in an elevator lobby Elevator machine room Elevator hoistway

Question 35

Where is manual recall of elevators in phase 1 activated from?

Answer 35

A key switch which may be found at the elevator panel or in the elevator banks elevator lobby

Question 36

Phase one switches in individual elevator lobbies are generally what type of switches?

Answer 36

Three position

Question 37

What is the function that gives firefighters complete control of the elevators?

Answer 37

Phase 2.

Question 38

Where is phase 2 initiated from?

Answer 38

A key switch inside each elevator

Question 39

Door restrictors are devices that prevent car doors from being opened if the elevator isn't within how many inches of the landing zone?

Answer 39

18"

Question 40

If the elevator stalls in a blind hoist way what is your only chance of self-extrication?

Answer 40

Open the car doors and force your way through the hoist way wall.

Question 41

In the absence of a functioning call cancel button it may be best to let a runaway elevator do what?

Answer 41

Run its course rather than subjecting it to the stress caused by a sudden stop function

Question 42

If the light on the panel near the phase two switch goes from steady glow to blinking what does it mean?

Answer 42

Smoke and/or heat is in the hoist way or elevator machine room.

Question 43

What is the first step for firefighters sent to deal with an elevator entrapment?

Answer 43

Call an elevator technician.

Question 44

What can be the simplest way of returning stalled elevators to service?

Answer 44

Reboot them.

Question 45

Before any rescue attempt in an elevator is made, a fire company must be sent to the elevator machine room to do what?

Answer 45

Kill power to the hoisting motor.

Question 46

What is another name for buttonless elevators?

Answer 46

Destination dispatch elevator system

Question 47

What are floors served by two separate elevator banks called

Answer 47

Crossover floors

Question 48

Power disconnects in elevator machine rooms are clearly identified by what

Answer 48

Elevator number

Question 49

Where are the hoist way doors that can be opened with special keys located

Answer 49

They are usually found on the top and bottom levels of multiple elevator hoistways. (41)

Question 50

What are safety devices that regulate the upper and lower travel limits of an elevator in a hoist way

Answer 50

Terminal switches. (41)

Question 51

Where are firefighters plug-in phones located

Answer 51

Fire control room

Question 52

Before you utilizing elevators firefighters should consider the location of the fire in relation to what two areas

Answer 52

Hoistway Elevator machine room

Question 53

It is fairly common for the automatic recall function to only be initiated by detectors where

Answer 53

In elevator lobbies. (47)

Question 54

What does the bypass setting do

Answer 54

Override the alarm system returning elevators to automatic operation. (48)

Question 55

What is the first step in the most common sequence after phase 2 switch has been keyed to on

Answer 55

Select the desired floor (49)

Question 56

Where are the hoisting motors located in machine room less elevators

Answer 56

Beams in the top of the hoistway

Question 57

Instead of the traditional steel hoisting ropes MRLs use what

Answer 57

Flat polyurethane coated steel belt

Question 58

What type of elevator is an MRL

Answer 58

Traction elevator used in low and mid-rise buildings

Question 59

What is crucial information in predicting smoke migration through elevator shafts in regards to MRLs

Answer 59

Buildings in which a single hoistway serves multiple levels of elevator service