How to Use a Fire Escape Ladder

Form a young age, we’ve all heard the saying safety first. However, very few of us live by it.

How many people have a plan in place in case their residence or place of work catches on fire? A good fire escape plan, no matter how simple, could be the defining factor between life and death.

Most buildings have fire escapes according to city fire escape rules, and people just assume that they are sufficient in case a fire breaks out.

What if the fire escape is on fire as well? What do you do? Do you know what a fire escape ladder is? Do you know how to use it?

With this questions in mind, let’s explore this subject further.

What is a Fire Escape Ladder?

A fire escape ladder is a portable or a fixed fire escape device. It is different from a fire escape in that the escape is a route designed and build into the building during first construction.

Normally, fire escape ladders are made of attaching hooks and some sort of light material. They can be metal, rope or chain. The more permanent ones, installed after building construction, are usually metal bars fitted to a cavity wall next to a window.

They are generally installed in areas where a fire has the possibility of making a fire escape inaccessible. This makes them a backup plan to the emergency plan. Most are portable and as such can be fixed to an available opening to allow for faster escape.

How Do You Use a Fire Escape Ladder?

1. Find the start point of the fire escape ladder

Open your escape ladder box and locate the end of the ladder. This is usually the end without any hooks or points of attachment. Place this end out the window first.

2. Slowly drop it out the window

Slowly release the ladder and guide it through the window. Patience is key at this point as you do not want to drop the entire ladder outside and lack something to climb out with.

3. Attach the escape hooks to the window

Firmly attach the hooks or grips of your fire escape ladder to the window sill. You can then release it and let its weight hold it in place.

4. Climb down as carefully as possible

Climb out of the window, holding firm to the ladder as you navigate through each rung. Move slowly, keeping your body close to the ladder till you make it to the bottom. Rushing is counterproductive in this case as it could result in falling. Always hold the ladder for those following you behind.

What Options Are Commercially Available?

There are quite a number of options available when it comes to the fire escape ladder.

• 1One of them is the portable ladder with a hook. This is the most common escape ladder and it comes with a C shaped hook usually attached to the window sill and the wall. The rungs also have pegs that keep them a safe distance from the wall so as to allow a good foothold. The hooks come in varying sizes and you should always select one that fits your window size perfectly.
• 2Another type of ladder is the one with carabineer hooks. These are fixed to permanently attached eyebolts and serve best in areas with strangely architecture windows. Alternatively, the lower part of the window can be filled with a metal bar. A ladder can then be hooked over the bar. In an emergency, concentration is always low and this makes fitting ladder perfectly quite a tedious task. A good way around this is to permanently fix the ladder then fit it in a container box outside the window. Some models of the emergency escape ladder come with this box. Once fitted, they simply need to be opened to release the ladder in the case of an emergency.

How Do You Select The Best Fire Escape Ladder?

Now that you know what the ladder is and why you need it, another question arises. How do I choose the right ladder? Before you purchase any ladder, it is best to ask yourself the following six questions:

• Are the people evacuating capable adults who can carry children down with them?
• Are there other occupants of the building that may find it difficult to use the ladder you are trying to buy?
• Does your lease allow you to alter the building, for example, fit a certain type of ladder permanently?
• questionIs the wall underneath the window strong enough to fit hooks or fit bolts for the ladder?
• questionWill the people in the building require signage and instructions of use for the ladder to be acquired?
• questionAre there other windows underneath the current escape window? If so, does the ladder have enough space between pieces to avoid damaging or breaking it?

Now when you know what to look for, be sure to check our best fire escape ladders guide.

Safety tips for using a fire escape ladders

• It is always advisable to test out any fire escape ladder that you decide to buy. When doing this, try climbing from the bottom up as it is safer just in case there are any faults with the ladder itself.
• Ensure that your ladder is not misused as a toy or a household accessory as the wear and tear will make it ineffective when the time comes for their actual use.
• Always carry out regular fire escape ladder drills, especially for a hook ladder as the placement can sometimes be tricky if you are not used to it.
• exclamationIn case you are making it out with children, have someone they trust and look up to go first, this will increase their confidence and ease their fear.
• exclamationAlways store your ladder near the window that will be used for escape in case of a fire.

Here, at OmniHomeIdeas, we think that a fire escape ladder is one of the most important equipment in any and all buildings.

Naturally, one is always legally provided for you during the construction of a building.

However, this is a rarely used item and as such, it may fall to neglect.

It is always advisable to have one of your own handy in the case of a disaster. 

Remember, it is as simple as one two three four.

• check1. Find the start point of the fire escape ladder
• check2. Slowly drop it out the window
• check3. Attach the escape hooks to the window
• check4. Climb down as carefully as possible

Remain calm, always breath slowly, and you will make it out of your predicament in one piece. Do not forget to share this with all your friends and keep them informed as well.

Drop any questions that you may have in the comments section and we will do our best to address them for you.