It is our observation that many consultants, engineers and architects are not aware of how much more complex the requirements for emergency elevator communications have become recently. And those ​that may be aware of the increasing equipment needs are often not familiar enough with telecommunications to put together a comprehensive set of specifications. Hopefully our background in both elevators and telephone installation can help bridge this gap for you.

For those of you who would like to get an overview of the new Code requirements for emergency communications, please review our section on Safety Code - Synopsis.

May We Suggest
These days it is not unusual to have two or even three professionals involved in a new building, ie. architect, elevator consultant, and electrical consultant. It is also not unusual for these consultants to unknowingly overlap their specifications. For example, we regularly see elevator companies being told to install hands free phones when the electrical contractor is being told to do the same thing. Needless to say, this can cause quite a bit of confusion and delay in the field, especially when the hands free phones and rescue station end up being incompatible.

Our suggestion is that for new buildings, you touch base with any other professionals at the beginning of the project to make sure that the entire communication system (hands free phones and rescue station) is being specified as the responsibility of a single contractor. In most buildings, it works best if this is the electrical contractor, although for modernization projects it would more likely be the elevator contractor.

Going to our specification page will show you samples of recommended specifications for architects, electrical consultants, and elevator consultants. Feel free to use these or modify them as you see fit. If you would like any of these specs sent to you in a non-pdf format, just let us know.

WEBB Product Summary
Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't encourage you to include Webb products in your projects. You can click on Handsfree Telephones - Overview to get a good idea of how our WebbPhones work and their main features. Clicking on Rescue Station - Overviewwill provide you with the same information about that particular product.

For those of you short on browsing time, here are some of the main features and benefits:

• It is the only equipment on the market with self-diagnostics built in. With AutoCheck activated, owners are automatically alerted if there are any problems with the equipment.

• In buildings where lobby communications are required, you can incorporate your elevator recall switches right into our LS-250 Rescue Station. This customizing is very easy to do and makes for a much nicer looking building lobby or CACF room. It can save you money as well.

Unlike other products available, the Webbphones have excellent voice clarity and volume.

• All equipment complies with present and foreseeable Elevator Code and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements including built-in location announcement, second number calling and flashing LED when operator answers.

• Up to 6 hands free phones can share a single telephone line, something that will save the building owners a great deal of money over the years. This number can increase to 80 handsfree phones with the addition of our Rescue Station.

• All Webb products are designed, built and tested for maximum reliability. In fact we are so confident in our products that we offer our customers a full 36 month warranty, the longest warranty in the industry.

• We are also well aware that budgets are tight these days. You will find that Webb products are not only priced very competitively, but that they are often significantly less expensive than similar products on the market. And feel free to call us if you have any unusual operating requirements... we love to talk about phone systems!

Architects & Consultants Project Management
Along with the increasing complexity of emergency communication systems comes greater challenge in keeping all aspects of the installation project organized. The checklist presented here is one that we both use ourselves when running installation projects and provide to elevator contractors and consultants when they are coordinating their own projects.

Project Management Checklist (PDF)

It's probably an understatement to say that it's not easy to be in the elevator business these days. Do any of the following complaints sound familiar?.

"The increasing complexity of elevator phone systems is now getting to the point where my technicians no longer have the skills to deal with them properly."

"The phones that we are now using are either complicated to program or not very reliable."

"Our guys are just too busy at the end of a project with more important things to do than trying to get the #%@* elevator phones working."

"We aren't telecommunications people. We're lost most of the time if a customer calls us with a problem they are having with their phone system."

If any of the above does sound famililar, we can help. Here are a few ways that Webb Electronics can work with you:

Equipment Only

We've supplied and installed elevator telephones from all the major manufacturers over the years. We saw shortcomings in them all and several years ago decided to create our own product line, one that would be competitive in price but also be extremely reliable, easy to program, and flexible enough to handle all of the various site conditions that you see out there.

As the only Canadian emergency telephone manufacturer, we now have equipment in thousands of buildings. If you are not currently using a Webb product, please give us a call. There are some very good reasons why you might want to consider switching to a better product.

Installation Support

In cities where we have branches, consider having us involved when it comes to installing emergency phone systems. You may find that this begins to make a lot of sense as the installation of rescue stations becomes standard and adds even more complexity to new building and modernization projects. We have both elevator and telecommunications skills so that you can confidently leave all of the installation work up to us. This frees your technicians up and makes sure that the systems are all installed correctly and on time. It also gives us the ongoing responsibility of maintaining the equipment.

When all a customer wants is a telephone upgrade for their cabs, some elevator companies simply call us and have us deal with the customer directly. By doing this, the customer generally gets a system installed much quicker and often at a lower price than the elevator company can charge. As a result, the customer is happy with the elevator company and you don't have to deal with the headaches of putting in such things as building wiring, rescue stations, phone lines, etc. We can take care of it all or we'll just do a portion of the work... whatever works best for you.

Special Services

Did you know that we have special services that can help distinguish you from your competitors in the eyes of your customers? Consider the following:

AutoCheck: Webb telephones are the only emergency phones that will automatically send an email to the building manager if any problem is detected with the system. Since this increases passenger safety and reduces their liability exposure, many owners will welcome this feature and even pay additional money for it.

Line Seizure: One of our most popular accessory products is line seizure equipment. This lets the elevators share an existing telephone line within the building and eliminates the need for the owners to pay the ongoing costs of a dedicated line from the phone company. With line seizure you will be saving your customers hundreds of dollars per year. This usually translates into long-term loyalty.

Your Phone Experts

Whether you are just buying equipment from us or using us for a full range of installation services, you can be assured of quality.

From an equipment standpoint, Webb products have been designed for years of trouble-free operation. They have undergone IC and FCC certification testing more rigorous than any other product. We also check each one for proper operation before it leaves our shop. In fact, we are so confident with them that we will provide you with the longest warranty in the business ... 36 months.

You will also like dealing with us. We are very proud of having earned a reputation over the years for friendly, reliable, and extremely professional service. If you aren't one of our valued customers already, we look forward to you becoming one in the near future.

You Have A Choice

Some property managers assume that the only way to have emergency elevator telephones installed is to have their elevator company do it. Fortunately for them, this is not the case.

With offices in Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa, Webb Electronics is the only Canadian company that specializes in the manufacture and installation of elevator telephones. We now maintain thousands of buildings with Webb systems installed in them. May we provide the same excellent products and service for you as well?

Here are a few reasons why so many property managers immediately call us whenever an elevator telephone situation arises:

Promptness

We can usually have a quote back to you within a day or two and installations are the same way... usually up and running smoothly within a week of getting your go ahead.

Quality

Webb hands-free phones and rescue stations are the best available in terms of sound quality, reliability and safety features. The handsfree phones also have our exclusive AutoCheck feature built into them which can automatically alert the building manager if any equipment problem is detected. Property managers and owners love this feature. Click on the above link for more details.

Simplicity

We will provide you with a full installation package. We take care of everything from in-cab installation, building wiring, ordering phone lines, providing monitoring options and connecting you up to the phone system. We are fully-licensed.

Flexibility

Because this is our only business, we can often offer you options and ideas that no one else has available. For example, our line seizure product can save the building thousands of dollars over the years by eliminating the need for a dedicated phone line.

Economy

We can give your clients excellent value for their money with products specifically tailored for your environment.

Give Us a Try

For those property managers who have buildings doing an upgrade to the elevator phones, by all means give us a call. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised..

If you aren't familiar with us already, here are a few of the more recognizable companies that trust us with their buildings. But as they say, size doesn't matter. We deal with many smaller property management companies and even individual Building Councils as well:

You may also be interested to learn that when a new building has an emergency elevator communication system specified into it these days, the brand name most frequently requested is Webb Electronics. Architects and building consultants have come to request us exclusively over the years to install and maintain this increasingly important and sophisticated equipment in their clients' buildings. Whether it is an upgrade to a small low-rise building or installing equipment into the newest skyscraper, we look forward to serving you with the same friendly service, attention to detail and quality products that have earned us the trust of so many customers over the years.