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### When Discussing Ventilation in Tall Buildings When discussing the ventilation of high-rises, the question of using elevator shafts as vent points often arises. This isn’t recommended for the following reasons: - The hoistway door on the fire floor would have to be forced open. This means that...

### When Discussing Ventilation in Tall Buildings When discussing the ventilation of high-rises, the question of using elevator shafts as vent points often arises. This isn’t recommended for the following reasons: - The hoistway door on the fire floor would have to be forced open. This means that the elevator is no longer available for transporting personnel to the fire area. - The open hoistway door is a severe danger to firefighters crawling around in a situation of near-zero visibility. A member could easily fall to the base of the shaft. - The hoistway has only a small opening at the top, generally 2-4 sq ft. This isn't enough to vent an entire floor adequately. - The hoistway doors on floors above the fire will allow heat and smoke out to their floors. For these reasons, open the elevator room door at the roof to vent any smoke that has already entered the shaft. Leave the hoistway door on the fire floor closed.