What does elevator recall entail in fire alarm operation?

• A. It redirects elevators to the lobby for evacuation.
• B. It disables all elevator operations system-wide during fire.
• C. It directs elevators to a designated floor and prevents their use during fire conditions to protect occupants and enable firefighter access.
• D. It permanently removes elevators from service after a fire event.

Answer: (C)

Elevator recall is a safety feature that automatically brings elevators to a designated safe floor and prevents elevator use when a fire condition is detected. The system directs the elevator cars to a preset floor (often the lobby or a specific refuge floor) and keeps them out of service until the fire is controlled and the area is safe. This protects occupants from being trapped in a shaft or riding through smoke, heat, or power loss, and it also gives firefighters reliable access to the building.

In practice, when the fire alarm or sprinkler system activates, the elevator recall signal is sent to the elevator controller, prompting the cars to return to the recall floor and remain there with doors open or ready to open, while normal passenger operation is inhibited. Once the scene is secured and conditions are safe, the elevators can be returned to normal operation.

The other options aren’t the standard behavior: recalling to the lobby for evacuation is not universally mandated and focuses on a specific floor rather than a designated recall floor; disabling all elevator operations system-wide is too broad a description of recall, which is a controlled, temporary mode; and permanently removing elevators from service after a fire event is not correct.