Modern Elevators Have A Remarkable Safe-ty record, transporting millions of people each day without incident. Elevators are one of the safest means of transportation because of their many safety features. Here, we will discuss one of these safety features, door restrictors. These devices are typically found on elevators built since 1980 but also may have been retrofitted on many older installations. This article is not intended to be a stand-alone primer on the basics of elevator nomenclature, operation, or rescue. It provides information specific to a group of door restrictors and is intended only for fire personnel who are thoroughly trained in elevators and understand the risks of removing occupants of stalled elevators and the dangers of using elevators during a fire. Members of the fire service have different points of view concerning elevators, but there should be no debate on these two facts: (1) The vast majority of occupants trapped in stalled elevators are safer (inside the elevator car) awaiting the arrival of an elevator mechanic than risking removal by undertrained firefighters, and (2) an elevator can be a deathtrap for civilians and firefighters under fire conditions.
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