Stuck in an Elevator: What to Do, What Not to Do and How to Prepare in a High-Rise

Quick answer: if your elevator stops between floors, stay calm and stay inside. Press the alarm button or use the emergency phone or call button to reach building staff or the monitoring service. If no one answers, or anyone has a medical problem, call 911 and give the building address and elevator location. Never try to pry the doors open, climb out through the ceiling hatch or jump down from a car stopped between floors; most elevator injuries during entrapments happen when people try to self-rescue. Wait for trained responders. During a fire, do not use elevators at all unless firefighters direct you to.

For people who live or work in tall buildings, elevators are part of daily life. Most rides are uneventful, but power outages, mechanical faults and door sensor problems can bring a car to a stop between floors. Being stuck is unsettling, especially in a crowded or hot car, but responders and elevator mechanics handle entrapments routinely.

This guide covers what to do if you are stuck, what not to do, and how to prepare, especially if someone in your household has medical or mobility needs. It belongs to our apartment emergency kit and preparedness guide.

Sources: Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation, elevator safety guidance for riders; National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), high-rise building fire safety and elevator use; Ready.gov, “Power Outages” and “Home Fires”; FEMA guidance on evacuation planning for people with disabilities; American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, summary information; fire department and city building department elevator safety pages, including the New York City Department of Buildings. Checked November 2026. This article is general safety information, not professional or medical advice. Call 911 in an emergency.

First, the Reassuring Facts

Fear is the biggest problem for most people stuck in an elevator, so it helps to know what elevator safety groups and building officials say:

• You will not run out of air. Elevator cars and shafts are not airtight. Air moves through gaps around the doors and vents in the car.
• Modern traction elevators are designed not to free-fall. They are held by multiple steel cables, any one of which is designed to support the car, and they have a governor and safety brakes that grip the rails if the car moves too fast.
• Help knows how to reach you. Firefighters and elevator mechanics are trained to free trapped passengers and have tools and keys to move or open the car safely.
• Most entrapments end without injury. The serious injuries tend to happen when people try to get themselves out.

What to Do if You Are Stuck

1. Stay calm. Take slow, deep breaths. If others are with you, talk to them and help keep everyone calm.
2. Press the door open button. Sometimes the car is at or near a floor and the doors will open.
3. Use the emergency communication. Press the alarm button, the emergency phone or the call button with the phone symbol. Elevator safety codes in the U.S. require newer elevators to have two-way emergency communication that connects to a monitored location, and many older ones have been updated.
4. Tell them where you are. Give the building address, which elevator you are in if there is more than one, the last floor you remember and how many people are in the car.
5. Call 911 if needed. Call if no one answers the emergency phone, if anyone has a medical problem, if there is smoke or fire, or if you have been stuck a long time with no response. Your cell phone may work in the car; if signal is weak, try near the doors.
6. Wait for trained help. Stay inside the car. Responders will either move the car to a floor or open the doors safely.
7. Make noise if you need to. If the alarm and phone are not working, bang on the doors or call out periodically to attract attention, while saving your energy.

Once you are freed

Watch your step when leaving. A car stopped near a floor may not line up evenly, and there may be a step up or down. Report the incident to building management so the elevator can be inspected before returning to service.

What Not to Do

Elevator safety groups and fire departments are consistent on these points:

• Do not pry open the doors. Even if you get the inner doors open, the car may be between floors, and the shaft is dangerous.
• Do not climb out through the ceiling hatch. Hatches are designed for responders, and many open only from the outside.
• Do not try to jump or crawl out of a car stopped partway past a floor. If the car moves while you are halfway out, it can cause severe injury.
• Do not lean on or push the doors.
• Do not attempt to fix anything inside the car or shaft.
• Do not let anyone else attempt a rescue who is not a firefighter or trained elevator technician.

Medical Problems While Stuck

If anyone in the car feels unwell, call 911 right away and describe the problem. While you wait:

• Have the person sit down on the floor to reduce the risk of fainting or falling.
• Loosen tight clothing and give the person as much space as possible.
• If someone has a known condition such as diabetes, asthma or a heart condition, help them use their own medications, such as fast-acting sugar or a rescue inhaler.
• If someone becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, start CPR and tell 911.

Hot cars are a real concern in summer, particularly during power outages when air conditioning stops. Watch for signs of heat illness, such as heavy sweating, weakness, nausea or confusion, and tell the dispatcher. Our guide to heat exhaustion vs heat stroke explains the warning signs.

Feeling panicked or claustrophobic

Anxiety in a small space is common. Slow breathing helps: breathe in through the nose for a count of four, hold briefly, and breathe out slowly through the mouth for a count of six. Focus on something specific, such as reading the inspection certificate or counting floors on the panel. Talking with the person on the emergency line, or calling a friend if your phone works, can also help the time pass.

Elevators During Fires

The NFPA and Ready.gov advise against using elevators during a fire. Elevators can stop at the fire floor, shafts can fill with smoke and power can fail. Use the stairs instead, unless firefighters direct otherwise.

Some newer high-rise buildings have occupant evacuation elevators designed to be used in fires under specific conditions, and fire service elevators are used by firefighters. Follow your building’s fire safety plan and the instructions of firefighters on the scene. Our guide to an apartment fire safety plan covers stairwell routes and when to shelter in place.

Elevators During Power Outages

When building power fails, elevators stop. Some buildings have emergency power that lowers elevators to a landing and opens the doors, or keeps at least one elevator running, but many smaller buildings do not.

During a widespread outage:

• Avoid using elevators if the power has been flickering or an outage is forecast, such as during a heat wave or major storm.
• If you are stuck when the power goes out, use the emergency phone or alarm, which often runs on battery backup, and call 911 if needed.
• Expect longer waits for help during large outages, when responders face many calls.

Our guide to preparing for a power outage in a high-rise covers water, lighting and getting up and down stairs when elevators are out.

Planning for People Who Depend on Elevators

For people who use wheelchairs, have heart or lung conditions or cannot manage stairs, an elevator outage is more than an inconvenience. FEMA and Ready.gov encourage people with disabilities to plan ahead with their buildings.

• Tell building management about your needs and ask about the building’s plans for outages and evacuations.
• Ask whether evacuation chairs are available and whether staff are trained to use them.
• Build a support network of neighbors who can check on you and help.
• Keep extra medication, charged batteries and supplies in your unit in case you cannot leave for a while.
• Register with local programs if your city or utility keeps lists of residents who rely on power-dependent medical equipment.

Our guide to an apartment evacuation plan for limited mobility goes through these steps in detail.

If Someone Else Is Stuck

You may be the one in the lobby or hallway who hears the alarm. Here is how to help without putting anyone at risk:

1. Talk to the people inside. Call through the doors to let them know help is coming, and ask how many people are inside and whether anyone is hurt or unwell.
2. Notify building staff or the superintendent, who may already be getting an alert from the monitoring system.
3. Call 911 if anyone inside has a medical problem, if staff cannot be reached or if there is smoke or fire.
4. Note the elevator and floor. Responders will want to know which car and roughly where it stopped.
5. Do not try to open the hoistway doors with keys, tools or force. Leave that to firefighters and elevator technicians.
6. Meet responders at the entrance and guide them to the elevator machine room or the stuck car if you know the way.

Questions to Ask Your Building

A few questions to building management help you understand the risks where you live:

• Is the elevator inspected on the schedule the city or state requires, and where is the certificate posted?
• Does the emergency phone connect to a staffed location around the clock?
• Does the building have emergency power for the elevators, and for how long?
• Who responds to entrapments after hours, and how quickly?
• What is the plan for residents who cannot use stairs during an outage or evacuation?

Write down the answers and keep them with your emergency plan. If an elevator regularly breaks down or the emergency phone does not work, put your concern in writing to management and contact your local building department if it is not fixed.

Small Items Worth Carrying

You do not need a special kit to ride an elevator, but a few everyday items make a long wait easier:

Item	Why it helps
Charged phone	Calling 911, light and staying in touch
Small water bottle	Comfort during a long wait, especially in heat
Personal medications	Inhaler, glucose tablets, heart medication if prescribed
Small snack	Helpful for people with diabetes
Compact power bank	Keeps the phone running

Riding Safely Every Day

Most elevator injuries are not entrapments but everyday accidents. Elevator safety groups recommend:

• Never stick a hand, foot or object between closing doors. Wait for the next car instead.
• Watch your step when entering and leaving, in case the car is not level with the floor.
• Hold children’s hands and keep strollers fully inside the car.
• Keep pets on a short leash and make sure they enter and exit with you, so a leash does not get caught in the doors.
• Stand clear of the doors and hold the handrail if there is one.
• Do not overload the car. Wait if it is crowded.
• Report problems such as doors that close too quickly, cars that stop unevenly, strange noises or an expired inspection certificate to building management. In many cities, you can also report unsafe elevators to the local building department.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run out of air in a stuck elevator?

No. Elevator cars are not airtight, and air moves through gaps and vents.

Can an elevator fall if it gets stuck?

Modern traction elevators are held by multiple cables and have safety brakes designed to stop the car if it moves too fast.

Should I try to open the doors?

No. Stay inside and wait for firefighters or elevator technicians. Self-rescue attempts cause many of the injuries in entrapments.

When should I call 911?

If no one answers the emergency phone, if anyone has a medical problem, if there is smoke or fire, or if you have been waiting a long time with no response.

Can I use the elevator during a fire?

No, unless firefighters direct you to. Use the stairs and follow your building’s fire safety plan.

The Bottom Line

If you are stuck in an elevator, stay calm, stay inside and use the alarm or emergency phone. Call 911 if no one answers or anyone needs medical help, and never pry the doors or climb out. Skip elevators during fires, plan for outages if anyone in your home depends on them, and carry a charged phone and any essential medication.