Fire Department Completes Smithtown Elevator Census

Charles Duffy Sr., a retired Smithtown Fire captain, elevator inspector and mechanic, had his own 2010 census project: counting the elevator population of the fire district.

"Many of the elevators in the Smithtown Fire District are getting older and we need an up to date census of where they are located and how we can, if needed, perform a rescue," Duffy said. Each year the Smithtown Fire Department receives many elevator rescue calls.

The number he found was higher than expected for suburban Smithtown - 55 elevator cars were found in 41 buildings.

"When you take into consideration St. Catherine of Sienna Hospital, schools, nursing homes and the office buildings located in town, the seemingly large number of elevators in a suburban community comes into perspective," Firefighter and Chief Information Officer Jeff Bressler said.

Duffy conducted the project largely on his own time and began his search with "the most visible candidates." He then found the rest through leads from Smithtown residents and common sense of what buildings would likely have elevators.

This data will now become part of Smithtown Fire Department's Red Alert System, a database of critical information for fire units to access during emergencies. The elevator data includes which buildings have elevators and the make, model and age of the cars, as well as what companies service the equipment.

"If someone is trapped in a car the Red Alert data will allow the department to quickly understand the nature of the elevator, where the motor room is located and how it mechanically operates to quickly remove any victims who are inside," Duffy said.

Duffy, who still helps maintain the lifts at the United Nations, gives a department-wide lecture each year on elevator rescue techniques and conducts hands-on drills with each individual company in actual buildings with elevator service.