Concept · For Elevator Operators

A calmer voice on the line.

An emergency call from an elevator should be answered immediately, in the language the person speaks, by someone who can stay on the line until help arrives.

A multilingual AI answering service for elevator emergency calls. Picks up in under a second, talks to the rider in their language, dispatches the right help on the first try.

From $39/cab/month · Free 90-day pilot · No SLA contract

Call path · Current state vs. proposed
CURRENTCab call↓ ring8sMonitoring centerEnglish-only · queue42sTranslator bridgeif available~3 minDispatchtech / 911PROPOSED · REFFEMCab call↓ ring0.6sReffem · 32 languagespicks up · stays on the lineliveDispatchtech / 911
CALL.LOG · 04-17-26 · 14:22:08 On the line
Building1340 W. 18th · Cab 02
DetectedES · es-MX · 96% conf.0.4s
PickupReffem answered0.6s
StatusStuck between 4–5 · 1 occupant · calm
DispatchedTech · ETA 11 min · ack'd2:14
00:01
ReffemHola, le contesta Reffem. Estoy aquí. ¿Está usted bien?
00:06
RiderSí, sí. Estoy bien, pero no se mueve.
00:11
ReffemEntendido. Ya estamos enviando un técnico. ¿Puede ver algún número en el panel?
00:18
RiderDice "stop" y un cuatro. Estoy con mi hija.

Use Reffem on one bank of cabs. Free for 90 days.

Two pilot slots open this quarter. We'll reach out within 48 hours.

1Volume
2Frustration
3Contact
§01 · The problem

The current system was designed for English-speaking calls during business hours.

Today's monitoring centers were built for fire and intrusion alarms. The training, the staffing, the language coverage — none of it was designed for a frightened rider in a stopped cab.

Observation 01

Half of the riders in our test buildings don't speak English first.

In a sample of 142 emergency calls across six buildings in Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, 49% of riders spoke a language other than English. Most common: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Polish.

Observation 02

Median pickup time is 42 seconds. Some calls wait three minutes.

Monitoring centers staff for the average and queue the rest. A rider in a stopped cab — no signal, no idea what's happening — experiences thirty seconds as a long time.

Observation 03

Translator bridges are slow and frequently unavailable.

When the operator can't communicate, they patch in a translation service. In our sample, only 31% of non-English calls successfully connected to a translator on the first try.

Sample · 142 monitored calls · Q1 2026
PICKUP TIME · SECONDS0–10s19%10–30s38%30–60s28%1–2 min11%2–3 min3%3+ min1%median 42sRIDER LANGUAGEES 24%ZH 14%EN 51%
§02 · The approach

One pickup. One conversation. One handoff.

Three decisions: pick up immediately, speak the rider's language, stay on the line until help arrives.

Capability
Monitoring center
Reffem
Direct to 911
Pickup time
42s median
< 1.0s
~12s
Languages handled natively
English (translator on request)
32, no bridge
Varies by PSAP
Stays on line until help arrives
Sometimes
Always
No
Recorded & transcribed
On request, 5–7 days
Live, in your dashboard
No
Dispatch to your tech, not just 911
Yes
Yes
No
§03 · Languages, in practice

Three sample openings, spoken at human pace.

Language detected in the first half-second, before the rider finishes their sentence.

ES · es-MX0.6s pickup
Spanish
Hola, le contesta Reffem. Estoy aquí. ¿Está usted bien?

Hello, this is Reffem. I'm here. Are you okay?

ZH · cmn-Hans0.7s pickup
Mandarin
您好,我是 Reffem。我在这里。您没事吧?

Hello, I am Reffem. I'm here. Are you all right?

PL · pl-PL0.6s pickup
Polish
Dzień dobry, tu Reffem. Jestem z Panem. Czy nic się Panu nie stało?

Good day, this is Reffem. I'm with you. Are you all right?

§04 · Safety & compliance

Built to the rules that already exist.

We replace the part where a person picks up the phone — not the cab safety architecture.

A2.27.1

ASME A17.1 messaging compliance

Reffem speaks the rider's language and identifies itself by name and role within the first six seconds, satisfying two-way communication requirements without changing the cab hardware. Status messages every 30 seconds while the rider waits.

2018-CC

2018 IBC two-way comm

Compliant with the 2018 International Building Code update on real-time communication for elevator entrapment. We log every call with timestamps, audio, and transcript — exportable for compliance audits.

SOC 2

SOC 2 Type II in flight

Audit window opens June 2026. Until then, we operate to SOC 2 controls and will share the readiness report under NDA with pilot operators on request.

Human

A trained operator is always reachable

If Reffem cannot resolve a situation — silence beyond 90 seconds, medical distress, or conflict — a human operator is paged in and on the line within 12 seconds. The rider never knows the handoff happened.

§05 · Where we are

Three pilots running. Two slots open.

Real product, real cabs, real buildings — but early. Two pilot slots open this quarter.

Q4 2025 ✓

System design & legal review.

ASME A17.1 fitment, escalation protocols, recording & consent, fail-safe behavior on network loss.

Complete
Q1 2026 ✓

First pilot · Pilsen Lofts, Chicago.

Two banks, six cabs, ten weeks of monitored calls. Median pickup: 0.6s. Zero escalations failed.

Complete · 142 calls
Q2 2026 →

Two more pilots, plus design partners.

Multilingual, multi-tenant operators preferred. Free during pilot. We pay for any cab-side hardware.

2 spots open
Q4 2026

General availability, pending insurance & AHJ sign-off.

Initially: IL, NY, CA, TX, FL. Expanding by jurisdiction approval.

Planned
§06 · Common questions

What operators have asked us first.

What happens if Reffem can't understand the rider?
A human operator is paged in within 12 seconds. The rider doesn't experience a handoff — the conversation continues, with the operator on the line, while Reffem keeps transcribing. If the network is down, the cab phone fails over to your existing monitoring center.
Do we have to change cab-side hardware?+
Is this a replacement for 911?+
How is this priced?+
What jurisdictions are you operating in?+

If you've ever stood next to a stopped cab waiting for a translator, you know the gap we're closing.

Two pilot slots are open this quarter. Free for 90 days, no SLA contract, full audit log of every call. We'd rather find out together if this is right than ship something that isn't.

Apply for pilot

Or write us · pilots@reffem.com