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Owensboro Fire Department outlines elevator rescue training and public safety guidance
Summary
Lieutenant Chad Johnson described annual elevator training, equipment and revised response tactics; OFD reported 33 elevator rescues in 2023 and 24 in 2024 and urged residents to remain calm, not overload or shake elevators, and to call 911 if trapped.
Lieutenant Chad Johnson of the Owensboro Fire Department briefed the City Commission July 15 on elevator safety, department training and procedural changes intended to reduce risk to passengers and first responders.
Johnson said annual elevator training for the department includes classroom and hands-on drills and that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports roughly 30 fatalities and about 17,000 serious injuries nationwide in incidents involving elevators and escalators each year. He described counterweights that can weigh 5,000 to 10,000 pounds and other shaft hazards that pose risks if personnel or untrained maintenance workers access a hoistway while power remains applied.
Johnson said the department has invested in specialized safety equipment and changed response tactics so that a rescue truck routinely accompanies elevator calls, providing a minimum of six personnel when a rescue may be required. He said personnel and equipment training expanded in 2022 and that the department responded to 33 elevator rescues in 2023 and 24 in 2024.
On-scene tactics Johnson described include verifying whether a true medical emergency exists inside a stalled car, locating the car, attempting a fire-service reset and coordination with building staff to correct door-sensor or control issues. If those steps fail, Johnson said firefighters can perform a manual lowering or, as a last resort, stabilize the car and enter via the top hatch after securing the elevator to the hoist mechanism.
Johnson offered safety guidance for the public: do not overload or shake elevators, use stairs during a fire, remain calm if stalled, press the elevator's emergency or mercy button and call 911; wait for first responders rather than allowing untrained maintenance personnel to attempt an extraction while power is still on.
Commissioner A. Smith, who identified himself as an owner of the downtown Hampton Inn and Suites, thanked the department and said he has observed the department perform difficult rescues. A commissioner asked about evacuation strategy at Roosevelt House, an assisted-living facility; Johnson said the department's response includes designating one stairwell for evacuation and one for firefighters to operate hose and suppression equipment, noting the need to balance evacuation and firefighting operations in large residential structures.
