Fire Escape Ladders : Implementing Your Escape Route

In all properties, it is always important to plan the quickest, safest and most direct escape route, in the unfortunate event of a fire. This would always be most straightforward if the occupants are on ground floor level, where the easiest escape would be through an external door or opening window.

This, however, is so often not the case. Most domestic fires unfortunately occur at night, when the majority of residential occupants are in bed, which would usually be upstairs, with the exception of ground floor flat or bungalow dwellers.
This is where routes for escape must be considered. As a general rule it is important that every room has two different points of exit. The first would be the door, which may not always be the best option, should the internal staircase not be accessible. The next point of exit would therefore be the window. This would be where Fire Escape Ladders are indispensable.

Of course, for security reasons, it is not prudent to leave ladders lying unattended or secured outside of properties nowadays. However, the 42 year old occupant of a recently fire damaged property in Inverness was very fortunate that a set of ladders were left unchained outside her property. This enabled her to be rescued from her first floor bathroom. It was later confirmed they were left by a neighbour whilst putting up lights for the festive season, giving a whole new meaning to a happy new year to this lucky lady and her family.

As it is not always practical to have a full sized ladder inside most properties, there is always the option of investing in a fixed fire escape ladder. These can usually be purchased in an unobtrusive box, which can be fixed on an internal wall below a fully opening window, ideally in a central position to the rest of the house, though not on the landing, as most house fires spread quickest through the stairway area. The window should also ideally have the shortest drop to the ground.

In the event of a fire, the galvanised fire escape ladder can then be simple and quick to deploy, making for a safe escape in an emergency. These fire escape ladders are most practical for multi-storey, multi-occupancy residential or commercial properties, such as apartments or office blocks.

As an alternative to the galvanised fire escape ladders, particularly if fixed to all upstairs windows, there are also portable versions available, such as telescopic fire escape ladders. These are constructed from aluminium chain, making them lightweight and easily transportable. These can ideally be stored under a bed or on top of the wardrobe.