Being trapped in a lift can be a terrifying ordeal but if it happens to you in Cambridgeshire prepare for a long wait to be rescued
Firefighters in Cambridgeshire will only help people if they have been stuck in a lift for THREE HOURS or more, according to a new report.
Bosses and staff were fed-up with around 100 call-outs a year at a cost of several hundred pounds each time.
So they have drawn up a new policy that could mean more people decide to take the stairs rather than risk a dodgy lift.
In future CALLERS will be charged £362 for fire crews to attend a trapped lift incident.
There will also be an additional charge of £90 for every 15 minutes in the first hour.
Owners of buildings with faulty lifts should take responsibility for freeing trapped people, according to the county's fire service.
A report, approved by Cambridgeshire Fire Authority, outlined the terms set by the county's firefighters.
It lists three possible "outcomes" to a trapped lift scenario.
Waiting time: Firefighters in Cambridgeshire will charge property owners for call-outs to broken lifts
An emergency response by the fire service will be launched if the person trapped is seriously ill or "likely to become seriously ill".
Crews will only launch a non-emergency response if "the person has been stuck in the lift for three hours or more".
The report also states they will not rush to the scene like they would do with sirens blaring for a major incident.
Finally, firefighters will not attend if "a release can be made by a lift engineer or someone else responsible for the lift" and nobody is in danger.
新闻资讯:
这项即将实施的新政策明确表述,被困在电梯中不足三小时的,被困方需要支付362英镑,消防人员才会抵达现场进行营救。另外,被困一小时之内的,每花费15分钟,求救方还需要额外支付90英镑作为酬劳。
虽然这项新规引发众多居民的不满,但剑桥郡消防队负责人表示,这项新规有利于节省消防员的时间和精力,提高消防部门的效率。
据消防部门提供的数据表明,2013年,该郡接到的电梯被困求救不下100起。但其中大部分的情况并不危急,很多事故电梯维修工就能处理。这不但增加了消防队上百英镑的支出,还延误了营救其他危急事故的宝贵时间。
不过,消防部门承诺,如果被困在电梯中的人员是危重病人,或是有生命的危险,他们还是会在第一时间实施营救。