Fire Alarm and Lift Interface
Lifts and fire are a careful subject. An ordinary passenger lift used during a fire can carry people into danger or trap them, so on detection it is normally recalled out of service — while specialist lifts may instead be kept available for firefighting or assisted evacuation. The fire alarm system is what triggers the right behaviour, and getting that interface right matters. This guide gives an overview of lift recall, firefighters lifts and evacuation lifts, and what to check.
As with all interfaces, the fire alarm triggers and the lift controller acts; your job is to make sure the trigger and response match the design.
Who this is for
This is for competent fire alarm engineers who commission or service interfaces to lifts. The experience level assumed is competent engineer. Use it for the overview; the lift roles and behaviour come from the fire strategy, the lift standards and BS 7273-4, and the lift itself is maintained by lift engineers.
Fire recall of lifts
Fire recall sends a lift to a designated level on fire detection, parks it with the doors open, and takes it out of normal passenger service. The point is that occupants should use the stairs, not an ordinary lift, during a fire, and that the lift ends up in a known, safe position. The fire alarm system signals the lift controller to recall according to the cause and effect — often recalling to the final exit level, or to an alternative level if the fire is at the normal recall floor.
Firefighters and evacuation lifts
Two specialist lift types behave differently. A firefighters lift is provided for fire and rescue service use during firefighting and has particular protection, power and control arrangements. An evacuation lift is one that may be used, under management control, to assist people who cannot use stairs to escape. Both are defined by the building's fire strategy and the relevant lift and building standards. The fire alarm interface must support whatever role each lift has been given, which is why understanding the strategy matters before touching the interface.
How the interface works
The fire alarm system talks to the lift through an interface — typically monitored relays or addressable output modules — that signal the lift controller to recall or change mode on the relevant detection, per the cause and effect. The lift controller performs the movement and control; the fire alarm side simply delivers the defined signals. The actuation follows BS 7273-4 and the lift standards, and the behaviour under fault and power-loss conditions is part of that design.
Testing the interface
Testing must confirm that the correct detection recalls the correct lift(s) to the designated level and parks them as intended, and that fault and power-loss conditions behave as designed. Test against the cause and effect and record every result. Because lifts are maintained by lift engineers, coordinate with them, and re-test the interface after any change to the cause and effect. From field experience, recall to the wrong level after building changes, and interfaces never re-proven after cause-and-effect edits, are the recurring problems.
Common points to check
Recurring issues include lifts recalling to a level that is no longer appropriate, interfaces that recall one lift but miss another in a bank, and lift-controller changes made by others that were never re-tested against the fire alarm. Verifying recall behaviour against the current cause and effect on each visit avoids surprises.
When not to rely on this alone
When not to use this article: do not use it to define lift roles, design recall behaviour, or determine firefighters/evacuation lift provisions. Those come from the fire strategy, the lift and building standards and BS 7273-4, applied by competent professionals. Coordinate all lift work with the lift maintainer.
Relevant standards
Actuation of lift recall from the fire alarm system is addressed by BS 7273-4, a code of practice, alongside BS 5839-1 for the detection system and the specific lift standards for firefighters and evacuation lifts. The legal duty for fire precautions and safe escape in most non-domestic premises sits under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Separate the legal duty from the recommended methods when advising a client, and always work to the current editions and the fire strategy.
Professional disclaimer
This is an educational and workflow resource for competent engineers and does not replace BS 7273-4, the lift and building standards, the fire strategy, or competent judgement. Verify all lift-interface and recall arrangements against current documentation and coordinate with the lift maintainer.
Related documentation
Keep the cause and effect, the fire strategy and the lift documentation to hand when working on these interfaces. Record all recall tests and coordinate with the lift engineers who maintain the equipment.