Evacuation dispatching: strategies to get as many people out as possible as quickly as possible using lifts

Modern lift dispatchers are designed to optimise passenger waiting and transit times, with a relatively small proportion of the total building population using the lifts in any 5-minute period. In an evacuation scenario, the passenger demand is significantly higher, and conventional dispatching strategies are no longer optimum. I n this paper, the author explores how to increase handling capacity so that lifts can help empty buildings as quickly as possible. Lessons from round-trip time calculations and traditional dispatcher design strategies are considered to help understand how to optimise lift evacuation. Risk-based evacuation prioritising floors according to their likely order of being compromised is explored. New user interfaces are needed to inform and reassure anxious passengers waiting for evacuation.