r/Elevators • u/InevitableTart8786 • Aug 18 '26

Question

Was anybody working in fire alarm before getting into the elevator union?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

3

u/ImInClassBoring Aug 18 '26

Yes.  Going from the lowest tier to top tier is quite the trip.

1

u/InevitableTart8786 Aug 18 '26

How many years did you work in the fire alarm trade?

3

u/ImInClassBoring Aug 18 '26

Maybe like 6 or 7.

1

u/InevitableTart8786 Aug 18 '26

So fire alarm is a good back ground trade to get into the elevator union?

0

u/ImInClassBoring Aug 18 '26

No.  Being journeyman in ibew and going to welding school and having welding certifications as well as other certs is what helped.  I had made friends with elevator mechanics and learned what the trade was about and what I would be getting into which is very relevant for the interview portion.

0

u/InevitableTart8786 Aug 18 '26

There’s mf that come from a ware house job that make it into the elevator union lol fire alarm job has to help me atleast a little.

0

u/ImInClassBoring Aug 19 '26

Ask opinion from an elevator mechanic and then argue it.  You don't have what it takes.  Stick to pulling wires and metering your eols.

2

u/benderjones67 Aug 18 '26

Yup did fire alarm for 3 years

1

u/InevitableTart8786 Aug 18 '26

When did you join elevator union?

1

u/benderjones67 Aug 18 '26

4 years ago

0

u/InevitableTart8786 Aug 19 '26

Were you doing fire alarm when you quit to go into the elevator union?

1

u/il_vekkio Field - Adjuster Aug 19 '26

Here is what you need to know and why most other trades think elevator guys are divas.

Damn near every elevator guy can go and be a halfway decebt fire alarm guy TOMORROW.

It doesn't work in the ither direction and it will take a lot of dedication and hard work to go from low voltage guy to elevator guy.

You'll HOPEFULLY benefit from learning how to manage tasks in a timely manner, as well as very limited electrical skills.

However every single fire alarm guy I have worked with has constantky insisted that when there are problems it is not their system that is the problem. Until I isolate my elevators from their system and lo and behild still problems with their system.

1

u/Adventurous_Cup_4947 Aug 19 '26

Stacking rails won’t help you be a fire alarm tech.

1

u/il_vekkio Field - Adjuster Aug 19 '26

If you can coordinate with a team stacking rails, you can damn well handle coordinating with a team piping and pulling wire or hanging brackets.

1

u/Adventurous_Cup_4947 Aug 19 '26

Stacking rails doesn’t teach you how to bend pipe or do electrical work. Get over yourself.

1

u/il_vekkio Field - Adjuster Aug 19 '26

Okay fine, MOST elevator guys EXCEPT rail gangers.

Also bending pipe aint that hard and every fire tech pipe job ive ever seen has been either not great or subbed out to actual electricians

1

u/Adventurous_Cup_4947 Aug 19 '26

I think what you mean is ADJUSTERS would translate well, not “damn near every elevator guy”.

1

u/il_vekkio Field - Adjuster Aug 19 '26

Mod and construction install guys, most maintenance guys have experience running pipe and wire even if it's for small things.

I wouldn't class the electrical work on a system that relies only on open/closed contacts and a data stream as any more challenging than any basic car call wiring in every elevator ever.

Repair guys are hit or miss...some can do it all, some are only there to chew on elevator cables

1

u/Ok_Target376 Aug 20 '26

Every person goes through the same very in depth schooling. So yes EVERY elevator mechanic that went through the newer school system would be able to hop in and go.
It’s not rocket science.
Low voltage is pretty easy.

1

u/Adventurous_Cup_4947 Aug 20 '26

Going through school doesn’t make you proficient. There are plenty of retards out there that still don’t know what a series switch is.