My friendship with Millicent Coil dates back to my early years in Lawrence, Kansas. Life took us in different directions after high school, as life tends to do, with Millicent pursuing a career in mechanical engineering in the aerospace and automotive industries, while I packed my bags for Washington, D.C., to work in government affairs.

Our paths crossed once again when Millicent moved back to Kansas. We caught up on our respective journeys and revisited memories. We also discussed my job and Millicent’s role at my alma mater, the University of Kansas, where she serves as an Associate Professor of the Practice in the School of Engineering. She shared that in addition to teaching courses, she also leads the Capstone Design program. The Capstone Design course provides students the opportunity to work with real-world, interdisciplinary challenges proposed by industrial and research project sponsors.

I was immediately intrigued and wanted to see if there was a way for NEII to collaborate with the KU Capstone Design program. I loved the idea of engaging students to address an industry issue but was not quite sure what would constitute the most appropriate project. But I knew Kevin Brinkman, NEII Senior Director of Codes, and the NEII Central Code Committee (CCC) would have ideas.

The energy efficiency of elevators has been a hot topic for many years, but for far too long, building owners and managers chose to focus solely on heating, air conditioning, and lighting. But recently, the focus has shifted to one of the biggest energy consumers in a building – the elevator.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHARE) partnered with NEII to discuss the energy efficiency of elevators. The work initially involved evaluating the efficiencies of lighting and ventilation in elevators and has now transitioned to the actual operating drive system for the elevator. But in an effort to provide consistent energy measurement across multiple elevator manufacturers, the industry needed a universal web-based tool that was intuitive and easy to use.

Enter the energy calculator…and enter Millicent. Millicent, Kevin and I framed a project, and her Capstone engineering students began working on the energy calculator last year. Work is nearly complete, and we plan to unveil this new tool in the coming months.

NEII’s collaboration with the KU Capstone Design program has been a great success. And the development of an elevator industry energy efficiency calculator tool could not be coming at a better time as the world increasingly struggles with climate- and sustainability-related issues.

The theme for Earth Day this year is ‘Our Power. Our Planet.’ NEII is helping the building transportation industry take better care of our planet by taking better control of our power. And it all started with a sustainable friendship that turned into an energizing partnership.

TOPEKA, KS (June 26, 2023) – National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII), the premier national trade association providing advocacy, codes, safety expertise, and industry research for the elevator and escalator industry, in partnership with the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP), participated in the SkillsUSA Techspo Trade Show, which was held June 20-22, 2023, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

The elevator industry leaders co-sponsored a booth with hands-on simulations to help students visualize a day on the job as an elevator and escalator technician. Several mechanics from NEII member companies were onsite to speak with students about their career paths and the rewarding work the industry provides. There was also an opportunity for students to take an elevator selfie for a chance to win a variety of prizes, including an iPad Pro.

“NEII is thrilled to join together with NEIEP and embark on this partnership with SkillsUSA. Together, we hope to connect with individuals interested in the trades and develop an expanded pipeline of talent for this incredible industry,” said Amy Blankenbiller, Executive Director of NEII.

The Techspo Trade Show is part of the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, which features more than 6,500 career and technical education students—all state winners—who participate in a variety of trade, technical and leadership competitions. This was the first time the elevator industry has participated in this event.

SkillsUSA is a national organization with chapters in every state, serving more than 300,000 middle school, high school, as well as college/postsecondary students interested in pursuing careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. According to SkillsUSA, 49.6% of their students are from historically underrepresented groups by race and ethnicity, and 38% identify as female. The elevator industry has made tremendous strides in recent years improving diversity and inclusion in the financially lucrative elevator industry. 

“As an industry, we want to ensure a workforce that is diverse and inclusive. Partnering with a national network like SkillsUSA is a great opportunity to reach a workforce more indicative of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) and brings a special talent to the elevator industry,” added David Morgan, NEIEP Executive Director.

For more information on the elevator industry, go to neiep.org and neii.org.

By Amy Blankenbiller, Executive Director, National Elevator Industry, Inc.

The year 1970 had no shortage of drama. The Beatles broke up. There was the Apollo 13 non-moon-landing mission. And there was the invasion of Cambodia that led to fatal student protests. The decade that gave us disco and the Brady Bunch got off to a rocky start to say the least. But one U.S. Senator was doing something positive and taking a small but significant step in a fight very few people at the time even realized we should be fighting – the fight to save the planet.

In the spring of 1970, only five days after the Apollo 13 crew safely landed in the Pacific Ocean, Wisconsin Senator (and later Governor) Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day to draw attention to the urgent need for environmental legal and regulatory intervention. At the time, there was no Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act. There wasn’t even an Environmental Protection Agency; the EPA would not commence operations until December of 1970.

And it all started with one special day: April 22.

When Senator Nelson initiated Earth Day, approximately 20 million Americans supported it, according to Earth Day Network. Today, more than 1 billion people worldwide participate in Earth Day activities. This year’s theme is “Invest in our Planet,” something the building transportation industry is taking to heart.

In the upcoming issue of Elevator World, NEII Vice President for Government Affairs, Phil Grone, emphasizes that decarbonizing the built environment is an urgent need that is recognized at all levels of government, with key climate-change actions being taken across the federal and local levels. These efforts include municipalities requiring buildings to significantly reduce their carbon emissions by a certain date or face stiff penalties, as well as the Biden Administration requiring buildings owned by the Federal government to cut energy use by 30 percent by 2030.

The building transportation industry is playing a key role in achieving these objectives. Manufacturers and suppliers are committed to reducing emissions from owned or controlled sources, indirect emissions from power and heating and cooling sources, as well as other indirect emissions that emanate from other parts of the supply chain.  

Elevator and escalator companies across the U.S. are focusing on their vehicle fleets, incorporating hybrid and electric vehicles and optimizing vehicle routing for service calls. The industry is also improving sustainable manufacturing, including sourcing renewable energy to support those facilities. As a sector that contributes to both manufacturing and industrial capacity and to the built environment, members of the industry have established a number of important goals between 2030 and 2050 that, when achieved, will contribute significantly to the improvement of the environment and in addressing climate change.

Everyone has a part to play in our success and in the improvement of the environment. Individual and industry action matters. Every contribution is vital. Reflecting on the first Earth Day over five decades ago, the progress we have made, and the objectives we need to achieve, one question should be top of mind—what are you doing to invest in our planet?

[Originally published in Building Operating Management; May 15, 2019]

Every time we turn on the news we see the devastation caused by natural disasters, whether it is an earthquake, blizzard, hurricane, or other extreme weather event. Sometimes, building managers will know far in advance that a threat is heading their way; but other times, as was the case in the recent tornado that hit parts of Alabama and Georgia, ten minutes is all the warning they received.

In either case, preparation, training and practice can be the difference between life and death for building occupants. Is your facility prepared?

As our cities grow, so too have our buildings. Today, billions of people use elevators daily and by 2050, the number is expected to triple as population booms in urban centers. Technological and engineering advances have led to the construction of larger and taller buildings to meet the world’s growing need. Even in the best of times, it can be difficult to effectively transport building occupants. And if a disaster strikes – natural or otherwise – occupants will be unable to evacuate if the building and the building manager are not well prepared.

It will continue to be increasingly important for building managers to recognize the role elevators can play in the safe evacuation of building occupants. Preventive maintenance to keep elevators up to code, combined with a responsible egress plan and clear communication, will save lives in an extreme event.

Building Codes Continuously Support Innovation for Safety

Building managers are very familiar with building codes developed by the International Code Council (ICC), such as the International Building Code (IBC), but may not be as familiar with the codes for elevator and escalator safety developed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). ASME A17.1/CSA B44 is the primary code in place for new product elevator/escalator designs and installation. It is used widely throughout North America and undergoes updates every three years by a panel of experienced experts with representation across various aspects of the elevator industry. While building owners are not responsible for enforcing these codes – the authority having jurisdiction oversees that – they still must comply with the elevator safety codes enforced in their area.

One of the key stakeholders in this process is the National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII), the national trade association of the building transportation industry. NEII’s primary mission is to drive the adoption of model codes and responsible policies across North America, promote safety for passengers and industry professionals, and advance innovation and performance. NEII supports and advocates for codes in several ways, including actively participating on code development committees, like the ASME, ICC and NFPA, to ensure the harmonization and consistency between the building codes and building transportation codes. This is particularly important for issues such as seismic safety that are addressed in both the building and elevator codes.

 New Requirements for Emergencies of All Types

Over the past several years, the codes have evolved to better address how elevators function during disasters.  While seismic requirements and Firefighters’ Emergency Operation (FEO) have been part of the code for many years, these requirements are continuously reviewed and updated as needed. In addition, new requirements have been added, or are being developed, to provide for occupant egress in emergencies and for operation during extreme weather events.  For example, ASME A17.1 now addresses Occupant Evacuation Operation (OEO) technology, flood detection technologies, and back-up power systems, to name a few.

Occupant Evacuation Operations

Unfortunately, it often takes a true tragedy to inspire innovation. In the aftermath of 9/11, it was obvious that more lives could have been saved if occupant egress was more efficient and elevators were part of the solution. Many building code changes have been prompted by lessons learned from that tragedy, including some hardening of the buildings and widening of stairwells. The reality is you cannot build a building that can withstand any possible threat. But what if you could safely use the elevator to evacuate people efficiently? That is where OEO comes in. This technology enables passengers to simply walk to the floor lobby, catch the designated elevator to a safer floor and from there make an efficient exit, freeing up the elevator for other occupants to use.

The idea is not to evacuate every occupant via the elevator, but to have more options for the occupants of the floor(s) of a building most at risk. This important game-changing innovation is already being used. At 181 Fremont in San Francisco, 14 of 17 elevators have been equipped with this technology by NEII member ThyssenKrupp Elevator Corporation. Many other market leaders utilize similar technologies and buildings are currently being constructed with OEO capabilities to maximize safety.

Advances in building design and elevator technology and changes to the codes help ensure that elevators can continue to operate in fire emergencies, provided the elevators are not exposed to the fire hazard. These changes include provisions to protect against the intrusion of smoke, fire and water into the hoistway, as well as providing for emergency power to the elevators.  The building codes require protected elevator lobbies in which real-time messaging displays provide information, such as availability and estimated time of the elevator car arrival, which the occupants can use to determine their best means of evacuation.

Elevator users in North America are familiar with signs posted in all elevator lobbies warning the public not to use elevators in case of a fire. Those signs had been mandated by the ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Safety Codes for Elevators and Escalators for years. With new technologies and safety codes that support new innovations, property managers will need to reeducate their tenants that elevators may be safe to use in some emergencies, once this technology becomes more prevalent.

Firefighters’ Emergency Operation

Elevators have long been required to include features in case of fire emergencies. Firefighters’ Emergency Operation (FEO) is required on all new passenger elevators. FEO Phase I is automatically activated by the fire alarm initiating devices to cause an elevator to travel to a designated landing where people can egress from the building.  Once the car has traveled to the designated level on Phase I and the passengers have exited, the elevator is only available to firefighters. FEO Phase II allows the firefighters to use the car to move equipment or people to aid in fighting the fire or evacuating the building.  

Flood Detection Technology

In response to flooding emergencies, such as Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast and Harvey in Houston, there are also enhancements for operation of elevators in flood zones.  ASME and IBC reference ASCE24 which has performance-based language that prohibits elevators from descending into floodwaters. One of the ASME working groups in currently developing a proposal to add more prescriptive requirements to the code. Care must be taken to ensure that any new provisions work effectively with the other systems currently in place (such as FEO, OEO and seismic operation).  

In addition, standby or emergency power systems are important safety features, which allow the elevators to be used for evacuation or to fight the fire. Standby power also ensures that the communication systems in the elevators remain operational.

Most new innovations included in the safety code only apply to new elevators being installed and only when the authority having jurisdiction adopts an updated version of the code.  Elevators typically last 25-30 years before they are updated and some may be older than that.  Unless the local authority requires upgrading older elevators to add these new safety features, they may not be present on the elevators in any given building. 

While the innovation of elevator manufacturers and the development of strong safety codes have been tremendously impactful in improving the safety of elevators in emergencies, there is still much that facility managers must do. The building manager should be familiar with the specifications of the building transportation systems and keep in mind the new safety features available when it is time to upgrade the equipment. The manager should develop an emergency plan for the building, including how the elevators might be used in an emergency, and then provide training for building occupants. 

Knowing how to respond in an emergency and how to best keep your tenants safe must be planned in advance. Have you educated your tenants on what they should or should not do in various emergency scenarios, whether caused by an extreme weather event or perhaps an active shooter or act of terrorism? Have you practiced it with your tenants and first responders? Getting occupants safely out of a building in an emergency relies not only on technology, but also careful planning, training and calm leadership.

TOPEKA, KS. (APRIL 14, 2022)

The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII), the premier trade association representing the global leaders in the building transportation industry, announced three new hires with government affairs and safety expertise to expand its influence in the regulatory and legislative arenas. The new members of NEII’s team include:

“As we continue to set higher and more strategic goals, I am excited to announce an expansion of NEII’s team to meet the challenges ahead," said Amy Blankenbiller, Executive Director of NEII. “Trent, Savannah and Billy are joining our hard-working and effective team, and I am looking forward to seeing the achievements this staff can make on behalf of the building transportation industry.”

TOPEKA, KS. (SEPTEMBER 15, 2020)