By Dr Deepak Monga, VP – Fire & Safety, Safe Reach Elevators
Vertical safety is no longer a technical add-on, but a necessary element of urban resilience of Indian cities that is now known for vertical growth. Safety considerations in a country growing upwards must not only be regulated but also maintained as the utmost priority. With high-rise buildings over 70 metres, mixed-use complexes combining public and private access, and dense clusters becoming a new normal, the evacuation strategy needs to adapt beyond traditional staircases.
This is where Fire Evacuation Lifts come into play, set to redefine the future of safe living vertically.
Both UDCPR 2020 (updated to 30.1.2024) and DCPR 2034 highlight an important change in the regulatory requirement: fire evacuation lifts, also called as fireman evacuation lifts, will no longer remain optional. They represent the next generation of intelligent, technologically advanced, regulated, and lifesaving infrastructure.
Why Fire Evacuation Lifts Are Becoming a Mandatory Standard
1. Regulatory Push: High-Rise Buildings Must Integrate Evacuation Lifts
Current fire safety frameworks clearly stipulate evacuation and fireman evacuation lifts in high-rise buildings:
• DCPR 2034: The residential buildings between 15–32 m shall have a minimum of two lifts, one of which has to be the fireman evacuation lift
In UDCPR, buildings above 70 m require either:
• a fire tower with a fireman evacuation lift, or
• A dedicated fire evacuation lift on the external face of the building, connected through a smoke-check lobby
These provisions make evacuation lifts a regulated necessity instead of a luxury.
2. Fire-Resistant, Pressurised and Purpose-Built
Regulations also stipulate critical safety requirements:
• The lift shafts should be 2-hour fire-resistant. The landing doors on each floor should be at least 1-hour fire-resistant.
• Fire evacuation lifts must have:
o Alternate power supply
o Two-way communication system
o Emergency operation controls
o Automatic/manual activation linked to fire alarms
o Smoke-check lobbies to prevent ingress of smoke and water
o IoT System
These standards ensure not only compliance but fundamentally redefine built-in vertical safety.
Smart Evacuation Ecosystems: The Next Evolution
The future of evacuation systems is beyond machinery. Instead, integrated sensor-driven ecosystems for evacuation are becoming a key need.
1. Integration with IoT & Building Automation
Future-ready evacuation lifts will sync with:
• Intelligent fire detection systems
• Automated pressurisation controls
• Real-time alarm systems
• Lift recall protocols connected to Building Management Systems (BMS)
Pressurisation systems, which are already specified in DCPR 2034, include requirements for 2.5 to 5 mm water gauge positive pressure in lift shafts and lobbies, a system that will become automated and sensor-controlled for real-time adjustments in the future.
2. Autonomous Evacuation Procedures
Emerging global practices show a shift towards:
• Automated lift recall during fire
• AI-driven evacuation routing, prioritising people with limited mobility
• Integrated load-balancing, dispatching lifts based on crowd density
With regulations already in place for inter-communication equipment and dedicated emergency controls in fireman evacuation lifts, India is well-placed to move to partial autonomization of evacuation flows.
High-rise Architecture of Tomorrow: Creating safety first
1. Architectural considerations to optimise the evacuation of people
The UDCPR and DCPR both state that Fire Evacuation Lifts are not standalone entities but part of a broader Safety First Approach taken by architects:
• Smoke-check lobbies with level differences to prevent water ingress for Fire Evacuation Lifts (75mm Drop needed for Evacuation Lifts in High-Rises)
• Additional requirements are for Refuge Areas, Escape Chutes and Fire Towers to support Emergency Lift operations — All of these are part of a multi-faceted safety strategy
• Clear route of vehicle access for Fire Trucks and Fire Appliances must always be maintained around all buildings, especially for buildings over 70m in height.
The new design philosophy seamlessly combines Architecture, Engineering and Safety with a Human-Centred Approach.
2. Accessible Egress for All During Emergencies
One of the most significant advantages of evacuation lifts is equitable evacuation. In addition, traditional stairlift evacuation models are not accessible to:
• Aged People
• Differently-abled People
• Children/Infant
• Pregnant women
• Injured occupants
• Pets
Implementing building regulations requiring fire evacuation lifts for high-rise buildings will ensure that every occupant is evacuated safely and no one is left behind.
The Future Is Vertical — and Safely Managed
India’s urban future will be shaped by skyscrapers, vertical communities, and hyper-dense living. But this growing infrastructure shift will be managed safely, especially the carrying evacuations safely up and down in the event of emergencies.
Fire evacuation lifts, backed by clear regulatory frameworks like UDCPR 2024 and DCPR 2034, represent more than compliance. They mark a transition toward smart, inclusive, tech-enabled evacuation systems. These evacuation systems will set new global standards for vertical safety.
