Meeting the demands of modern high-rise evacuation

Serious past incidents have shown that stairs-only evacuation can be slow and impractical in high-rise buildings. Elevators are often the fastest way to evacuate everybody. The taller the building, the more efficient elevator evacuation is.

KONE Evacuation Solution can be configured to meet widely recognized elevator evacuation standards and support a comprehensive range of building evacuation strategies.

For developers, architects, and building owners, elevator evacuation should be considered early in the project as the evacuation strategy sets key design requirements.

Why use elevators for evacuation?

Faster, safer evacuation for everybody

People who cannot use stairs, or who need more time during evacuation, can use elevators to exit the building safely and comfortably — supporting a more efficient evacuation process for everyone.

Seamless integration with building systems

Integrate your elevators with building fire alarm systems to seamlessly execute evacuation operations as defined in the building’s evacuation plan.

Gain greater planning flexibility

Elevator-based evacuation can reduce stair capacity requirements, creating more usable floor area and improving overall space efficiency.

See KONE Evacuation Solution in action

HOW KONE EVACUATION SOLUTION WORKS

Integrated evacuation control with KONE Occupant Evacuation Operation (OEO)

At the heart of KONE Evacuation Solution is KONE OEO. It integrates your building’s fire system with the elevator system to evacuate the affected floor and surrounding levels in a controlled, planned way.

When the fire system detects an alarm, the elevator system enters OEO mode and begins evacuating the affected floor and surrounding levels — rather than recalling elevators to the lobby and shutting them down. Elevator dispatch is prioritized based on evacuation zones defined by the fire system.

Each lobby features a variable messaging system to inform occupants about elevator availability. Inside the elevator, visual and audible guidance helps passengers proceed safely throughout the evacuation.

HOW KONE EVACUATION SOLUTION WORKS

Step-by-step evacuation guidance

For elevator evacuation to work effectively, people need clear guidance throughout the event.

KONE Evacuation Solution provides coordinated, real-time instructions, including which elevators are available, estimated arrival times, and when elevators are temporarily serving other evacuation zones.

If the emergency situation changes, evacuation zones are automatically updated through integration with the building systems, helping ensure guidance remains accurate throughout the evacuation.

HOW KONE EVACUATION SOLUTION WORKS

Flexible evacuation solutions tailored to your needs

KONE Evacuation Solution can be tailored based on required elevator evacuation capacity, building type, and applicable standards. Three main configurations are available:

KONE OEO (configurable solution): For high- or low-population evacuation where strict standard compliance is not required or cannot be fully achieved, such as in existing buildings. Supports staged and total evacuation, configurable zones, and primary and alternative exit landings.
ASME A17.1‑compliant KONE OEO: Enables elevators to operate alongside stairs in high-rise building evacuation strategies. Typically, a high proportion of occupants can evacuate using elevators.
EN 81‑76:2025‑compliant evacuation: Designed to support evacuation primarily for people with reduced mobility, with stairs used as the main evacuation route for other occupants. Supports both automatic and driver-assisted evacuation methods.

Note: Remote‑controlled evacuation under EN 81‑76 is not currently included in KONE's standard offering.

What your building needs to support elevator evacuation

The key prerequisites for elevator-based evacuation are:

Fire and safety plan: A building-specific fire and safety plan is required, including elevators as part of the evacuation strategy.
Secondary power: Secondary power arrangements are needed to ensure elevators can operate during power interruptions, where required by local codes.
Regulatory requirements: Requirements for elevator-based evacuation vary between standards, so it’s important to understand the regulations that apply to your building.
Capacity planning: A key consideration is estimating the proportion of occupants expected to use elevators during evacuation. This helps determine the number of evacuation elevators required.

KONE People Flow™ Planning experts can support your project team in determining the appropriate elevator capacity based on building population data.

Get started with KONE Evacuation Solution

Ready to explore elevator‑based evacuation for your next project?

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Frequently asked questions

KONE Evacuation Solution is a set of elevator functions, components and planning services that enable elevators to be used as part of a building's evacuation strategy, in line with applicable codes and standards. It includes KONE Occupant Evacuation Operation (OEO) and configurations designed to support ASME A17.1 OEO and EN 81‑76 evacuation of persons with disabilities.
Not automatically. Using elevators for evacuation depends on local codes and on the building being designed (or modernized) to support elevator evacuation. Requirements typically include protected elevator lobbies, appropriate fire and life‑safety systems, secondary power and an approved Fire and Safety Plan that explicitly includes elevators as part of the strategy.
No. Stairways remain a fundamental part of building evacuation and are required by code. Elevators complement stairs, particularly in high‑rise buildings and for people who cannot safely use stairs. KONE Evacuation Solution is designed to coordinate the use of both, not to replace one with the other.
It is most effective when designed into a new building from the outset. In existing buildings, the introduction of elevator evacuation depends on whether the building can be refurbished to accommodate it, ultimately depending on approval from local authorities of a revised evacuation plan that recognizes the use of elevator in building evacuation.
The number depends on building height, population, occupancy type and how many people are expected to use elevators versus stairs in an emergency. KONE People Flow Planning experts use traffic analysis and code guidance to help estimate the required capacity and configuration for your specific project.
Requirements for secondary power are set by local codes and must be addressed in the building design. KONE Evacuation Solution is designed to work within those requirements, but the availability and behavior of elevators in a power failure scenario depend on the overall building power and fire‑safety design.
Yes. KONE Evacuation Solution can be integrated with KONE Destination control and conventional control systems, so that the same elevator group delivers efficient everyday people flow and supports evacuation operations when needed. Integration details are defined during project planning.
Yes. Supporting the safe evacuation of people with mobility issues is a key priority of KONE Evacuation Solution. It provides peace of mind by ensuring they can be evacuated safely, while supporting smooth movement on stairs for other building users.