How do emergency responders egress elevator curtains?

The Smoke Guard system is connected to the building’s smoke detection or fire protection system, and is deployed 10 seconds after the building’s alarm is triggered. The curtain covers the elevator openings on the floor where smoke was detected. When the elevator is in recall mode, emergency responders have access to the elevator.

There is a 4” square rewind switch on both sides of the curtain that allows for egress after the system is deployed. By manually pushing the screen open (with less than 15 pounds of force), egress is also possible.

You can see how the Smoke Guard elevator system is deployed by watching this video.