An unnecessary restriction demanded by the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal’s Elevator Safety Division (based on false information) caused extreme hardship to Arlington Heights condo owners, who are predominantly seniors, when they had to live over three months without an elevator in their three-story condominium building that includes a basement.
I think you all know that I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.
— President Ronald Reagan
The unfortunate result is that a group of residents, some of them disabled, needing medical attention, and even wheelchair-bound, have been without a functioning elevator in their condo building for 121 days as of today, Monday, January 29, 2024.
The unnecessary restriction involved a false assumption by the state’s Elevator Safety Division that an important major elevator part known as a cylinder did not meet State of Illinois safety requirements.
The cylinder supports and moves this type of elevator from below the elevator car. The cost to replace the cylinder can be about $80,000. A double cylinder is safe; an aging single cylinder is at risk of being unsafe.
In fact, the cylinder did meet state requirements because experts were able to find village records that indicated the cylinder was acceptable — including locating a serial number and locating records associated with the elevator cylinder at Village Hall.
Thanks to good record keeping at the Village of Arlington Heights; and the efforts of Illinois House of Representatives member Mary Beth Canty; the efforts of Village of Arlington Heights employees; and the diligent work of a private elevator company, Colley Elevator Co.; condo owners have hope that the problem is about to be resolved with an upcoming inspection Wednesday, January 31, 2024. If the elevator passes inspection, the elevator power will be turned on for operation.
However, the condo owners at 2700 Bel Aire Drive in Arlington Heights, especially the seniors and a few disabled residents, and a resident recovering from spinal surgery have been suffering after the actions of two levels of government — local and state. The two levels of government were not coordinated, were not fully-informed, and were not proactive in pre-planning to initialize an elevator upgrade project that involved a potentially difficult, time-consuming and expensive situation.
The fiasco started when the Village of Arlington Heights required some reasonable upgrades to elevator equipment — some mechanical upgrades in the elevator mechanical room, and an upgrade to the control panel that residents use to control the elevator. The Village of Arlington Heights also required an upgrade to the building’s fire alarm system.
In early 2023, the condo board at 2700 Bel Aire Drive in Arlington Heights was informed by the Arlington Heights Fire Department that owners needed to complete the elevator upgrades, and install a new whole-building fire alarm system. The condo board signed contracts to do both projects around March or May of 2023.
During the elevator project modifications, the residents would be without an elevator for about two or three weeks. Considering the summer heat, the condo association board of Regent Park Condo #2 decided that work on the elevator should start in late September 2023 to avoid forcing residents to exert themselves with a stair-climbing-only option during late summer, hot weather scenarios.
In fact, the project began on October 1, 2023.
However, there was a problem lurking in the planning of the project that was caused by a failure of shared knowledge between the State of Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Elevator Safety Division and the Village of Arlington Heights — even though an Illinois Local Elevator Safety Program Agreement is supposed to exist between OSFM and local municipalities or counties. Basically, the two levels of government weren’t working off of the same checklist that would result in an approved elevator inspection. The shared knowledge failure turned a three-week project into a three-month plus stand-off involving the OSFM Elevator Safety Division vs. the allies of Regent Park Condo #2 and the Village of Arlington Heights.
According to condo owner Al Marks, the Village of Arlington Heights officials and State Rep. Mary Beth Canty were on the side of the condo owners. Additionally, State Representative Mary Beth Canty served her constituents by working hard toward conflict resolution.
However, the residents were frustrated with the OSFM Elevator Safety Division, concluding that bureaucrats at the OSFM Elevator Safety Division were stubborn in demanding the safety standard involving a misunderstood elevator cylinder.
The state inspection by the OSFM Elevator Safety Division determined (or should it be said ‘assumed’) that the elevator did not have a double bottom cylinder. It’s an important safety issue: A single cylinder can leak hydraulic fluid from the cylinder if the cylinder becomes corroded while it is frequently located under the elevator and underground. Corrosion can occur especially when the elevator car is in the basement or on the first floor and the cylinder is underground.
Around the time that the condominium building was constructed in 1965-66, a new standard was developing. By 1972, elevator cylinders were required to be a double cylinder base — not a single cylinder. A double cylinder base prevents rapid leaking of hydraulic fluid, and therefore prevents a free fall collapse of the elevator car if corrosion breaks the integrity of the cylinder.
According to the OSFM Elevator Safety Division, existing single cylinders needed to be replaced, but the replacements were not enforced until recently.
OSFM FAQ …
If my elevator has a single bottom cylinder what are my options to ensure compliance with the Code?
You have three options:
Replace with a double bottom cylinder
Install plunger grippers
Install care safety device(s) on the elevator
— OSFM website
A representative with Colley Elevator Co. searched through village records after identifying a serial number connected to the elevator, according to a message from condo board President Patricia Ziegler.
TEXT MESSAGE …
“Update
Good News
Cooley (sic) (our new elevator contractor). Did some research. Our Elevator is a Double Bottom CylinderInspection is Wednesday
If all goes well it will be turned on WednesdayWe don’t need a Cylinder.
Well I do know for sure it’s a Double Bottom
At VH.Dug through records and serial number. State Fire Marshall was there. Gave Village permission to turn on after inspection Wednesday”
— Patricia Ziegler, Condo Board President
In addition to the cylinder issue, the OSFM Elevator Safety Division on November 13, 2024, flunked the elevator for six other issues. In order to pass inspection, the elevator area needed …
1) installation of a fire-rated dry wall ceiling
2) removal of an antenna feed at the top of shaft or solid pipe
3) installation of an automatic door closer with a self-locking lock for the elevator mechanical room
4) the sealing of all penetrations into the elevator mechanical room
5) installation of a 12″x12″ rated vent in the elevator mechanical room, and
6) a complete phone and video system.
Unfortunately, after the cylinder issue was resolved last week, instead of immediately mitigating the hardship for the senior and disabled residents in the condo building with immediate inspection of the elevator and elevator room, the OSFM Elevator Division scheduled the next inspection almost one week later — on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
CARDINAL NEWS left a message with OSFM Elevator Division Deputy Larry Christiansen to obtain OSFM’s side of the story. Public Information Officer (PIO) JC Fultz replied …
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal has been working with the Village of Arlington Heights to provide technical support in relation to a question of whether an existing elevator meets requirements to be in use/service. The Village of Arlington Heights has previously signed a municipal agreement with the OSFM so that the Village can administer the elevator program locally. The OSFM has assisted in connecting the Village with information from the manufacturer regarding whether the existing elevator contains the required parts or if replacement parts were needed. The OSFM is happy to assist the Village regarding this question, as maintaining residents safety is always a top priority when it comes to elevators across the state. The OSFM also thanks local and state leaders, especially State Representative Mary Beth Canty, for their assistance in helping find a positive resolution to this issue.
— JC Fultz
SHUTDOWN TIMELINE SUMMARY
The scheduled elevator shutdown occurred on October 1, 2023, and work began without knowledge of the false assumption of the cylinder issue. The elevator project was expected completed in 3 weeks, but the owners weren’t allowed to turn on the elevator until an inspection by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Elevator Safety Division.
On November 13, 2023 there was a final inspection and the elevator inspection failed according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal Elevator Division. The elevator inspection failed for the following reasons (The devastating news was #7) …
1) The elevator need a fire rated dry wall ceiling
2) An antenna feed at the top of the elevator shaft was ordered removed
3) An automatic door closer with a self-locking door was required for the elevator machine room door
4) Seals were required at all penetrations into the elevator machine room
5) a 12″ x 12″ vent was required in the elevator machine room
6) Installation of a phone and video system was required in the elevator
7) A demand that an alleged substandard Single Bottom Cylinder needed replacement or augmentation with a “Life Jacket” (possibly costing around $80,000, shared cost by 30 units) …
The first six items were completed, and the condo owners contacted a new elevator service company (Colley Elevator Co.) to determine if a new cylinder was actually needed, and to replace the cylinder if it was necessary. The new company investigated, and found out that the elevator cylinder was the safer double walled cylinder, which meets the state code. According to Al Marks, the first elevator company wasn’t aware that there were double cylinder requirements statewide.
Unfortunately, the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office wouldn’t accept the new elevator company’s report. The elevator company even discovered the serial number of the building’s elevator cylinder, and learned from the cylinder manufacturer that the serial number was associated with the safer double cylinder.
A meeting among involved authorities was held mid-January 2024, and included State Representative Mary Beth Canty, OSFM Chief Deputy Fire Marshall Allen Reine, OSFM Deputy Director Elevator Division Larry Christensen, Village of Arlington Heights Director of Building and Life Safety Jorge Torres, Village of Arlington Heights Fire Chief Lance Harris, and Property Manager Bill Seymour, W.L. Seymour, Inc.
Rep. Canty’s office did not return a call for confirmation, but CARDINAL NEWS was told that Rep. Mary Beth Canty at the mid-January meeting at Village Hall gave the OSFM Elevator Division 24 hours to resolve the problem, or there would be a phone call to Gov. JB Pritzker to enlist his help.
Colley Elevator Co. scoured through records at Village Hall with an OSFM official present on or around January 25, 2024, and determined that the cylinder was a double based cylinder.
The Elevator Safety Division is responsible for implementing the Elevator Safety and Regulation Act through the registration, inspection, and certification of conveyances, and the licensing of contractors, mechanics, inspectors, inspection companies and apprentices.
— OSFM website
Illinois OSFM Elevator Division agreed to another inspection on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, and if the elevator passes inspection, it will be turned on for operation.
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ADDITIONAL READING …
CARDINAL NEWS | Time to Replace Double Bottom Hydraulic Cylinders | Elevator1 (Ontario, Canada)