# Elevator Keys aka Fireman's Keys **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389 "2007-07-19T14:59:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/21 "2011-07-18T20:37:33Z")
Please have a look at the dates of the above posts. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/22 "2011-07-19T06:08:50Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > That’s the key to open the outer elevator-shaft doors that one would see on every floor, waiting for the elevator to arrive. > And to repeat what **gotpasswords** said, if you obtain one you really should look before you happen to dive head first down the shaft. In addition, possession plus the use of that key will likely get you into a heap of trouble with the authorities and building management. > > What you want is the maintenance key that goes into the panel installed inside the elevator itself (where the floor buttons are located), and yes - _ **if** _ you can get the Management Property company to give you one with their permission, you can do all that you ask in your OP. A maintenance key will only put an elevator into inspection mode or attendant mode. Inspection mose the elevator will move at slow speed. In attendant mode the car will still stop at any floors with a hall call. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/23 "2011-07-19T06:10:53Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > I used to ride elevators on top of the cab in order to clean interior elevator-shaft windows, dust and/or replace light bulbs, etc. (Think the Hyatt in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio). > > I would grab an elevator with the maintenance key, take it to a certain floor, then take another elevator one floor up. > I used the fireman key to open the outer doors on the shaft I was working on, and hopped on top the the cab. > > There’s a control unit there, when activated, allows one to manually control the elevator using three switches - UP/DOWN/STOP. > > Fun times. This is so the wrong way to get on to the top of an elevator car and can cost you your life. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/24 "2011-07-19T06:12:51Z")
> [@Billdo](#): > > In most elevators I here in New York (except those that haven’t been modernized in decades), there is a slot for a key to switch from fire service to normal service. > > Presumably when switched to fire, the elevator cab will respond only to the controls from the operator inside the cab. Also, I have been told that in fire service the close door button, which otherwise seems useless, will actually close the doors. > > I presume this is the key that the OP is looking for. The fire recall key will not work inside the car if the system is not in phase I first. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/25 "2011-07-19T06:26:16Z")
The key is call the elevator fire recall key here is how it works. 1st the key is used in the main recall floor (normally street level) It is turned and removed. this will recall all elevators to the lobby where the doors will open and stay open. This is phase I. At this none of the elevators can be used. To use an elevator inside the elevator is the fire recall keyway put the key in this keyway and turn. This elevator is now in phase II. The door close button has to be pushed and held until the door is fully closed. Now a floor call buton can be pushed. the elevator will go to the selected floor and stop. The doors will not open until the open door button is pushed and held. If the doors are not 100% open the doors will close when the door open button is pushed, and if you steped out of the car as the doors close it becomes time to call the elevator company. They will have to jump out several relays and jump across several contacts to put the elevator back into service, large bill. If you are on the top floor you can not actavate the elevator recall, that is unless you trip an smoke detector in the elevator lobby. And if you use the key in the lobby to recall the levators then go up to the top floor the building is now with out elevator service. If the property managers find out that you are using an fire recall key and they have to call out the elevator service company expect to recieve a large bill. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/26 "2011-07-19T06:29:08Z")
> [@exastris](#): > > What’s worked for me in the past- get in the elevator, press your floor button, and as the elevator is moving, hold down the ‘close door’ key. At least for the elevator I was in, this made it bypass the floors where the elevator was called and head directly to my floor. (or made it seem to do so. I don’t know why that would work, but it’s worth a try.) > > I wouldn’t do that these days, because someone could actually need to get somewhere, but I did do it during DragonCon many years ago. There were tons of kids hopping on the elevator to go down one floor, or to just ride around for a while, or running down the stairs pushing the call button on every floor. I didn’t feel so bad about it at the time, as my hotel room was on the something-teenth floor and stopping at every floor in between was a real pain. You can also get this to work by standing on one foot crossing your eyes and doing a tap dance. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/27 "2011-07-19T06:36:23Z")
> [@Gukumatz](#): > > Please have a look at the dates of the above posts. OOPs ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/28 "2011-07-19T15:01:00Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > This is so the wrong way to get on to the top of an elevator car and can cost you your life. I know this is a zombie thread but it’s still interesting and the subject material doesn’t date, so - what’s the correct way to get on top of an elevator car, assuming you had a good reason to do so? ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/29 "2011-07-20T05:49:54Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I know this is a zombie thread but it’s still interesting and the subject material doesn’t date, so - what’s the correct way to get on top of an elevator car, assuming you had a good reason to do so? Use the maintenance key. Take the elevator to the top floor. Using the maintenance key put the car in inspection. Get off the elevator. Put the mainteenance key in the hall inspection keyway. Holding the outer door open turn the key in the down direction. Lower the car until the top is level withthe floor. step onto the top of the car and let the outer door close. On the top of the car should be an inspection switch, turn it on. Push the down button and deadman’s button at the same time. Keep track of where the counter weight is at all times. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/30 "2011-07-20T05:59:59Z")
The engineers and some of the security personnel at the building i work in have UTE keys (i dont know what it stands for) that are shaped like the letter u, almost like a long tube that has one small side missing. This steep crescent shaped key fits into a keyhole in the elevator, which then switches the elevator to “independent” mode, in which the elevator ignores the call buttons on various floors but will respond to the control panel inside the elevator. I dont know how to obtain such a key, but i assume they are only available through the elevator company. ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/31 "2011-07-20T06:10:44Z")
My days in a 16 floor apt building, someone using our maintenance elevator managed to block up two elevators by putting a ladder through the escape hatch. They were moving in and had permission to use the elevator, but the escape hatch was closed when he started. The ladder, being 16 ft tall, didn’t fit in the elevator without opening said hatch and sticking it through. When it met the counter weight, it became a twisted and broken pile of aluminum scrap that caused the brakes on both the maint. elevator and one next to it to lock, in such a way that the only way to put them back in service was bring in the elevator service people, who made sure the police were there when they let the man out. He was not arrested, but he did receive a rather large bill from the apt. management. We were without our maint. elevator until the hatch was repaired. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389/32 "2011-07-20T06:25:49Z")
> [@Qwakkeddup](#): > > My days in a 16 floor apt building, someone using our maintenance elevator managed to block up two elevators by putting a ladder through the escape hatch. They were moving in and had permission to use the elevator, but the escape hatch was closed when he started. The ladder, being 16 ft tall, didn’t fit in the elevator without opening said hatch and sticking it through. > When it met the counter weight, it became a twisted and broken pile of aluminum scrap that caused the brakes on both the maint. elevator and one next to it to lock, in such a way that the only way to put them back in service was bring in the elevator service people, who made sure the police were there when they let the man out. > > He was not arrested, but he did receive a rather large bill from the apt. management. > We were without our maint. elevator until the hatch was repaired. Sounds like not only did he hit the counter weight but also managed to get the emergency brakes to engage. OOps:eek: You get the key from the elevator manufacture or a company llike Adams elevator parts company. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elevator-keys-aka-firemans-keys/412389.md?page=1)