In March 2026, the Providence, RI, Fire Department (PFD) responded to Sister Dominica Manor, which is a senior housing facility, where a person was reported to be trapped in the elevator during a power outage. The outage was caused by a tree branch that fell on power lines near the housing development.

During the attempted removal of the civilian, a PFD firefighter fell about 10 feet into the elevator shaft while he worked to free the person. The firefighter suffered serious injuries but was alert and conscious when he was admitted to the hospital. At press time, he was expected to make a full recovery.

When I first heard of the incident, I thought of another incident that involved an elevator that resulted in the death of a firefighter.

Tragic loss

Cincinnati Fire Department (CFD) Fire Apparatus Operator Daryl Gordon gave his life in the line of duty when an elevator door inside of a burning apartment building failed to automatically lock as designed.

The fifth-floor door to the elevator opened even when the elevator car wasn’t present. A latch that was built to keep the door closed until the elevator arrived on the floor was faulty. Although the elevator passed inspection four months before Gordon’s death, residents told fire investigators that the door had malfunctioned for several years.

On the morning of March 26, 2015, Gordon was searching for people who were trapped inside of a burning, heavily smoke-filled apartment building when he fell multiple stories down an elevator shaft. The 30-year veteran of the CFD was extricated from the building but was fatally injured. He was doing his job by searching for victims. His supreme sacrifice is something that every one of us must understand.

Please read the entire CFD report and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health report.

Routine elevator responses?

There probably isn’t a single fire department whose response district includes elevators that hasn’t been called for people who are stuck in an elevator. I have seen and read about departments using everything from elevator keys to pneumatic spreaders to hand tools to free trapped victims. What’s the right approach? What are the steps when operating in a “nonemergency” environment, such as a civilian stuck during a power outage or elevator failure?

One of North America’s top subject matter experts in the field of elevator emergencies is Michael Dragonetti. A 28-year veteran with the Stamford, CT, Fire Department and a chauffeur for its rescue company, Dragonetti has trained firefighters from small towns to the FDNY and every type of department in between, so it was only natural for me to reach out to him. so he could direct all of us on general operational best practices when responding to “elevator jobs.”

Staying ahead of the rescue

Dragonetti says that every stalled elevator call eventually reaches a moment when someone looks around and asks, “So, what are we doing?” If that question isn’t answered in the first 5 minutes—not 30 minutes—the scene already is behind the curve, and personnel are playing catch up instead of staying ahead of risk. By the time that someone asks, “What’s the plan?” members already should be executing it.

Here’s what being ahead looks like:

• Command established on arrival.
• Resources assigned specific roles.
• Decision framework communicated.
• Operations moving forward.

Here’s what being behind looks like:

• Everyone is standing around.
• Multiple side conversations.
• No clear direction.
• That awkward question: “So, what are we doing?”

It all comes down to initial and ongoing training before your next elevator job.

Fall-hazard risk

Regarding the decision to perform a last-resort top-hatch removal or when a fall hazard exists in any way, Dragonetti teaches and preaches the 6-12-6 rule. (These numbers are very important numbers to remember.)

• 6: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires fall protection when there’s a fall hazard of 6 feet or more when getting from Point A to Point B. A ladder isn’t fall protection.
• 12: OSHA requires fall protection when there’s a space of 12 inches or wider around the perimeter of the car top.
• 6: OSHA requires fall protection when anyone is working within 6 feet of a fully open hoist-way door, with no slack in the system. This becomes fall-restraint protection.

Dragonetti warns that if these rules aren’t adhered to and someone falls, OSHA and the lawyers will eat you alive.

As for the tragic event in Cincinnati: Firefighters beware! An outward-opening door usually leads to a shaft, basement and/or mechanical/electrical closet. Dragonetti’s advice is to always sound the floor before entering any doorway.

Tactical checklist

Dragonetti created this list for stalled occupied elevators when a qualified elevator mechanic isn’t available—which, unfortunately, happens more often than we’d like to be the case.

Note: This checklist isn’t a step-by-step rescue guide. It’s a documentation and decision-management tool that’s designed to help responders.

• Capture what was evaluated.
• Document what was controlled.
• Record what actions were (or were not) taken.
• Support after-action review and liability awareness.

A stalled occupied elevator doesn’t pose a risk just because everyone is waiting.

Even when no physical action is taken, decisions still are made, and those decisions should be documented. This checklist exists to bring structure, clarity and accountability to those moments when resources are limited and expectations are high.

Comments from Goldfeder

Elevator rescues are a low-frequency, potentially high-risk event. We hope that the building elevator mechanic or qualified individual has a reasonable estimated time of arrival, but as Dragonetti discusses, that isn’t always the case. When a fire is in a building, it’s fully our responsibility.

Without adequate training and without what we are taught through that training, the outcome of an elevator rescue can be negative for those who are in the elevator and those who are working to rescue them. That’s the high-risk part.

In reading Dragonetti’s comments, one thing that stuck out to me is that, although the occupants are unhappy, they usually aren’t in danger. We have time. By controlling the situation and assuring the occupants that personnel will help to free them (either a qualified elevator mechanic or a trained fire-rescue crew), we can apply our plan and training to get them—and ourselves—home safely.

For additional information on firefighter training for operating with elevators, go to www.dragonrescue.com. You also can join the Elevator Emergency Management (EEM) Facebook group, which is hosted by Dragonetti.