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Busan Metropolitan City Conducts a Mock Drill Using Evacuation Elevators in High-Rise Buildings

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Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Park Heong-joon announced that on September 3 (Wednesday) at 2:00 p.m., a mock drill for evacuation elevators in high-rise buildings would be conducted at the IFC Busan officetel in Nam-gu.

This drill was organized to prevent safety accidents caused by the formalized safety management of building owners and safety managers, and to strengthen their ability to operate evacuation elevators and respond effectively to crises.

Approximately 100 participants, including representatives from Nam-gu, the Korea Elevator Safety Agency, the fire department, building managers, elevator maintenance companies, and citizens, were expected to attend.

<Overview of the Mock Drill Using Evacuation Elevators in High-Rise Buildings> - Date and Time: September 3, 2025 (Wednesday), 14:00–16:00 - Venue: IFC Busan officetel (133 Jeonpo-daero, Nam-gu, Busan) - Participants: About 100 people (Nam-gu, Korea Elevator Safety Agency, fire department, building managers, maintenance companies, citizens, etc.) - Training Content: Practical mock drill based on a simulated fire scenario in a high-rise building

An evacuation elevator refers to an elevator in a high-rise building that is used as a means of escape when disasters such as fires occur. Under the mandatory installation requirements for evacuation elevators in high-rise buildings (30 floors or higher, 120 meters or more in height), building managers and elevator safety managers must conduct at least one training session per year.

Recently, with the increase in the number of high-rise buildings, the importance of evacuation elevators has been receiving attention. Furthermore, the Building Act and the Elevator Safety Management Act mandate the installation of evacuation elevators and the implementation of drills, highlighting the need to strengthen the operational capabilities of building managers and elevator safety managers.

This drill consisted of the following steps: theoretical training on the operation of evacuation elevators, an evacuation drill using elevators in high-rise buildings, collection of participants’ feedback, and final reporting.

In the theoretical training, elevator safety managers and on-site controllers were instructed on their duties and responsibilities, an overview of evacuation elevators, and emergency response guidelines and manuals.

The practical drill simulated a fire outbreak on the 35th floor, during which the building managers practiced evacuating occupants via the evacuation elevator to a safe evacuation area on the 1st and 3rd floors. This evacuation operation was repeated three times.

After the drill, participants’ feedback was collected, and improvement measures were identified for future training.

Starting with Nam-gu this year, the city plans to expand evacuation elevator drills sequentially to other districts and counties, including Haeundae, Yeonje, Suyeong, and Gijang, and conduct them annually in cooperation with related institutions.

Bae Seong-taek, Director General of the Housing & Architecture Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated,
“When a disaster occurs in a high-rise building, it can lead to large-scale damage, so practical mock drills are necessary to strengthen the evacuation elevator operation system. Based on real-life scenarios, we will establish a rapid rescue system, gather opinions from building managers and maintenance companies, and consult with relevant agencies to standardize training systems and promote a culture of safety management.”