Re: Escalators and elevators

[Rick <stpaulguy@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tom is mostly correct in his last posting.

Many elevator manufacturers are now offering a built-in emergency
phone. It's a standard ADA-complaint emergency phone that's sold
without the case and mounted behind the control panel.

And yes, they offer contact I.D. format.

Years ago elevator companies used to receive the calls from elevator
phones. That's because they were usually the first people you wanted
to call if you were stuck in an elevator. These days building owners
are much more liabilitiy conscious and want either onsite security or
an alarm company to monitor these phones. That's because the elevator
company is the last place you want to call if there's an assault
inside an elevator. You want an ambulance and police, not an elevator
repairman.

That's why manufacturers started offering Contact I.D. format.
Monitoring elevators is easy money for alarm installers. It really is
as easy as plugging the ADA compliant phone into the existing elevator
telphone wiring. Programming can be done by calling into the phone and
using touch tone commands.

However, you really should be up to date on the ADA regs and local
code. Viking Electronics (www.vikingelectronics.com) offers an online
pdf booklet covering all the ADA information. It's called ADA Guide in
Plain English.

As long as the telephone cabinet meets ADA height requirements--no
more than 48" from the floor and the door handle meets ADA grasping
requirments, you can install and ADA compliant phone inside the
cabinet.

Here are the other ADA specs:

1) A phone handset cord must be at least 29" long.

2) The phone must be hearing aid compatible OR offer a minimum 12
decibel volume boost above normal.

Here's another reason for contact I.D. directly from the ADA

"The emergency phone must NOT require voice communications alone. It
is essential that emergency comunication not be dependent on voice
communications alone because the safety of people with hearing or
speech impairments could be jeopardized."

Contact I.D. gives the central station the exact location of the
emergency.

3) Telephones must have push-gutton controls where service for such
equipment is available.

4) Phones must have a visual indicator to let elevator occupants know
that their call has been received.


On 21 Nov 2005 05:58:01 -0800, "Okitoki" <okyaysenturk@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

>Hi to all...
>
>I just heard of a "theory" from someone that is in the escalator and
>elevator business that the newer models of these public utilities have
>diallers in them with... now get ready to hear this: Contact ID
>protocol outputs!!! They say that these communicators are ready for use
>with monitoring stations so they can monitor the activity and troubles
>that occur.
>
>Is this true? Has anyone heard of such technologies? If so has anyone
>implemented these utilities into CMS's?
>
>I must say that I am sceptical but I just wanted to ask here prior to
>contacting the elevator companies and look like an idiot!!
>
>Thanks and good luck!!