The Problem with Traditional Elevator Phone Lines
The POTS Phone Line Era Is Ending – And Your Elevator Phone Depends on It
Most elevators in Kansas City are still wired to a traditional copper phone line — what the industry calls a POTS line (Plain Old Telephone Service). For decades that was the standard. Today it’s a liability.
Regional carriers have begun discontinuing POTS service across the country. The lines that remain are increasingly unreliable, harder to repair, and significantly more expensive — monthly charges for a single elevator phone line have climbed dramatically in recent years, with no sign of stopping. Combine the rising cost, the unreliable service, and the carriers’ clear unwillingness to maintain copper infrastructure, and you have a recipe for disaster: a stuck passenger pressing the emergency button on an elevator phone that no longer works.
Property managers and building owners shouldn’t have to find out their elevator phone line failed during an actual emergency. There’s a better way — and it’s already required by code.
Why Our Clients Choose Jade Alarm
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Why Audio AND Video Are Now Required in Every Elevator
The latest ADA and ASME A17.1 elevator code updates require two-way communication that includes both audio and video — not just a one-way emergency call button. This change was made to protect passengers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or otherwise unable to communicate verbally during an emergency. A dispatcher needs to be able to see that someone is in distress, confirm the elevator is occupied, and verify the situation visually before help arrives.
Jade Alarm’s elevator phone monitoring system meets these new ADA elevator code requirements out of the box. Every installation includes:
- A two-way audio communication device inside the elevator cab
- A video camera inside the cab, installed by Jade Alarm
- A signal path back to our 24/7 UL Certified Central Station Monitoring Command Center in Kansas City
- Compliance documentation for your building inspector
If your current elevator phone is audio-only, your building is no longer in compliance with the new code — and that exposes you to liability the moment a passenger needs help.
Modern Elevator Phone Monitoring, Built for Reliability
Jade Alarm’s system replaces your aging POTS line with a more reliable, code-compliant communication path, without ripping out your existing infrastructure. Here’s how it works:
Primary path: Internet (VoIP)
The system communicates over your building’s existing internet connection using VoIP. It’s faster, clearer, and significantly less expensive than a copper phone line. No more rising monthly POTS charges.
Backup path: Jade’s True Digital Radio network
If the power goes out, the internet goes down, or your VoIP provider has an outage, our proprietary radio network takes over automatically. An alarm signal is sent directly to our Central Station Monitoring Command Center so first responders can be notified — even when every other communication path has failed. This is a layer of redundancy no cellular-only or VoIP-only competitor can match.
Battery backup, monitored 24/7
A backup battery keeps the system running through power outages. Jade Alarm continuously monitors the battery status, and every 24 hours the system automatically sends a test signal to the Central Station. We track every test to confirm your elevator phone is operational at all times. If a signal is ever missed, our dispatchers know about it immediately, not weeks later when someone gets stuck.
Live, local dispatchers
When the emergency button is pressed inside the elevator, the call goes straight to a CSAA/TMA trained & certified dispatcher at Jade’s Kansas City Central Station Monitoring Command Center, not an overseas call center, not an automated system. Our dispatcher sees the live video feed, speaks directly with the passenger, confirms the situation, and dispatches the appropriate emergency response.
Built for Property Managers and Building Owners
If you manage commercial property, multi-tenant buildings, hospitals, hotels, or condo associations in Kansas City, this system was designed with you in mind.
Uses your existing traveler cable
In most installations, we can use the existing “traveler cable” — the cable that already runs from the elevator cab up to the equipment room. No expensive new Category 5 or Category 6 wiring runs required, no construction-grade installation disruption, no waiting weeks for low-voltage trades to schedule a pull. We work with what’s already there in nearly every case.
Lower monthly costs
Eliminating the POTS line typically saves more per month than the new monitoring service costs — meaning the upgrade often pays for itself.
ADA compliance, documented
You get the audio + video setup required by the new code, plus the paperwork to prove it to your building inspector or insurance carrier.
One vendor, one call
Jade Alarm self-performs every step — design, installation, monitoring, and ongoing service. No subcontractors, no finger-pointing when something needs fixing. Same local company, same phone number, every time.
What’s Included in Every Jade Alarm Elevator Phone Monitoring System
Why Kansas City Property Owners Choose Jade Alarm
Elevator Phone Monitoring — Frequently Asked Questions
Get a Code-Compliant Elevator Phone Monitoring Quote
Don’t wait until your POTS line fails or your building inspector flags an ADA violation. Talk to Jade Alarm about replacing your elevator phone with a modern, code-compliant, reliably monitored system.