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New thoughts on using elevators in skyscraper evacuations

Originally published: September 19, 2010 7:38 PM
Updated: September 19, 2010 10:20 PM
By ANTHONY M. DESTEFANO  anthony.destefano@newsday.com

Quick ReadHundreds of fire and engineering experts are expected to attend a conference focusing on using elevators in fires and other emergencies.

A worker welds on the Shanghai Global Financial

Photo credit: AP | A worker welds on the Shanghai Global Financial Center in Shanghai, China. The 101-story, 492-meter-tall building is one of the tallest in the world. (June 5, 2006)

The long-held belief that elevators in skyscrapers should not be used in evacuations during emergencies, particularly fires, is getting another look amid new research into how the World Trade Center towers collapsed on Sept. 11.

"Yes, the country is exploring the idea of using elevators in evacuations," said Dennis S. Mileti, a professor emeritus at the University of Colorado and a member...

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What is the safest way to evacuate a skyscraper?

Run down the stairs as fast as you can. Calmly walk down the stairs. Take the elevator.