Elevator recall sits on the boundary between the fire alarm trade and the elevator trade — which is exactly why it gets missed. Here is how the testing works and who is responsible for what. Confirm specifics with your AHJ.
Elevator Recall Testing: NFPA 72 and ASME A17.1 Requirements
Elevator recall — formally Firefighters' Emergency Operation, or FEO — automatically returns elevators to a safe landing when smoke is detected, so occupants are not delivered into a fire floor and firefighters get controlled use of the car.
It is one of the few life safety functions that requires two trades to cooperate, and that is precisely where deficiencies appear.
Phase I and Phase II
Phase I — automatic recall. When an initiating device operates, elevators return non-stop to the designated level, park with doors open, and stay there. If the detector at the designated level is the one that operated, cars recall to the alternate level instead.
Phase II — in-car operation. Firefighters use a key switch inside the car to take manual control, allowing them to travel to a chosen floor with door control held under their command.
A visual signal — the fire hat indicator — tells occupants and responders that emergency operation is active.
Which devices trigger recall
Recall is normally initiated by smoke detection installed specifically for that purpose, commonly at:
- Each elevator lobby
- The elevator machine room or machinery space
- The hoistway, where sprinklers are installed there
Where sprinklers are present in the machine room or hoistway, a shunt trip arrangement removes power to the elevator before sprinkler discharge. Verifying that the shunt trip and its supervision work correctly is part of testing — and a frequent finding when it is not coordinated between trades.
Where NFPA 72 ends and A17.1 begins
This is the crux of the confusion:
- NFPA 72 covers the fire alarm system — the initiating devices, their installation, and their inspection and testing intervals. The fire alarm contractor proves the detector operates and the interface relay changes state.
- ASME A17.1 covers the elevator's response — that the car actually recalls correctly, parks properly, and that Phase II functions. The elevator contractor verifies this.
Each trade can complete its own scope correctly and the overall function can still be untested end to end. When an inspector asks for proof that recall works, they want the whole chain — detector to car — evidenced.
How recall testing is typically performed
- Notify the monitoring company and building management, and coordinate a window with the elevator contractor.
- Operate the designated-level detector; confirm cars recall to the alternate level.
- Reset, then operate a non-designated-level detector; confirm cars recall to the designated level, park, and open doors.
- Confirm the fire hat indicator illuminates or flashes as intended.
- Verify Phase II key operation, including door control from inside the car.
- Where applicable, verify machine room and hoistway detection, and shunt trip operation with its supervision.
- Restore the system, confirm normal operation, and document every step.
How often
The fire alarm initiating devices follow their NFPA 72 inspection and testing intervals. The elevator side commonly requires a monthly operational check of Phase I and Phase II, with a fuller verification at the periodic inspection. Because the two schedules are set by different codes, they rarely line up on their own — someone has to coordinate them deliberately.
Common deficiencies
- Recall tested by one trade but never documented against the other's records
- Alternate level recall never verified — only the designated level tested
- Fire hat indicator inoperative
- Shunt trip not supervised, or never tested
- Detector replaced during service without re-verifying recall
- Phase II key missing from the building
Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for making sure recall is tested?
The building owner carries the obligation. In practice it is split between the fire alarm and elevator contractors, which is why written coordination matters.
Do elevator lobby smoke detectors have to be on the building fire alarm system?
Where a building fire alarm system exists, recall initiating devices are generally connected to and monitored by it rather than standing alone. Requirements depend on your adopted code.
Does a fire alarm inspection cover recall?
It covers the initiating devices and interface. It does not, on its own, prove the elevator responds correctly — that is verified under the elevator code.
Keeping fire alarm and elevator records in one place
Essential brings fire alarm inspection software and elevator service software into one platform — so recall testing, the detectors that initiate it, and the elevator response are documented against the same property instead of in two disconnected systems.
