.... in the house


 

 

 

 

 

Nobody plans for a fire or other disaster in the home, but they happen every day so it is best to put a little preparation in place that may one day save lives or at least provide more peace of mind.

A fire safety ladder for kids living on the second or third floor give peace of mind.

Best Fire Escape Ladder for Kids

The best Fire Escape Ladder is one that provides a second exit from a second or third story home in case the first exit should be blocked during a fire, earthquake or other disaster.

Thinking about prevention is not always on the top of our minds, but having systems in place will give the whole family peace of mind.

Working smoke detectors throughout the home and two exit paths from each bedroom of the home along with a home fire drill will help everyone feel comfortable with evacuating the home in the event of an emergency.

HOME FIRE ESCAPE LADDERS

These days, cost effective home fire escape ladders and smoke alarms are extremely affordable and priceless when it comes to saving lives and providing early warning and an alternate escape route if necessary during a home emergency.

Popular fire safety ladder brands include Kidde, First Alert, Werner and X-It.


Fire Escape Ladder Review

  • Fire is the third largest cause of fatalities with over 80% of the fatalities occuring in the home. Protect your home and loved ones with working smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, planned escape routes and fire escape ladders from second or third story windows.

  • Fires can spread quickly, possibly blocking the only escape path from a second story or third story in the home. In the case where there is only 1 staircase, if the staircase should become blocked or engulfed in flames, upstairs occupants must know what to do to get out of the home.

  • Some fire ladders are better than others. For example, ladders that use plastic sleeves over the wrungs are uncomfortable to use in bare feet or just socks as may be the case during an emergency. Lower cost units may have exposed steel chains and have difficult to navigate steps.

  • Some under-the-bed type ladders may take up to 2 minutes to actually deploy. Better designs may include tangle-free fabric roping and rapid deployment/unfolding.

  • The best home fire escape ladder is one that will deploy rapidly, is strong, tangle-free and easy to use. It pays to be aware of the different ways to hook the fire ladder onto the window sill in the case of a stowable type.

  • A lighter weight fire escape ladder such as the X-It unit at about 7 lbs. is ideal for a child to use and it also has non-slip wrungs.

  • Whether chains, fabric, flat steps or round steps, most of the portable fire escape ladders will do the job of saving lives should they be needed. To cut down on deployment time, everyone should be familiar with how to hook the particular ladder onto the windowsill and how to unfold it afterwards.

  • Before using ladder, follow manufacturer instructions and make everyone familiar with them.

  • Not every home style will accommodate these fire escape ladders as it depends on the type and height of the window, any obstructions either getting to the ladder in an emergency or deploying it. Make sure there are no nearby powerlines, trees or other obstructions under the planned window escape route.

  • Consider who would be using the ladder, their weight and whether they are afraid of heights. If a fire station is nearby, it may be better to wait for help than risk injury improperly using a fire ladder, but if someone is comfortable with deploying and using the ladder, then getting out of a building earlier is better as smoke inhalation is just as bad if not worse than the actual flames when it comes to fire caused injuries.


  • When there is a fire in the home, knowing what to do and having escape options can indeed save lives.

X-IT Fire Escape Ladders

   
Two Story and Three Story Home Fire Escape Ladders

X-It Fire Escape Ladders available here as recommended in the video above.

Something interesting for those too young to use a ladder has come to our attention: Fire Escape for Babies.

Comments from our Readers:
Note that the Kidde ladders are one-time use only, and therefore cannot be deployed for testing purposes, nor for the practice runs as advised in the Fox video and by others in the fire protection business.  

A window directly below the escape window could present a hazard that should be considered (and perhaps mitigated by ladders with removable standoffs).  

Werner and PEARL ladders are for permanent mounting only (inside the wall below the window), while the X-It ladder is packaged for portable use, but can be permanently mounted (bolted, not clamped) onto the wall below the window with the optional "Permanent Mount Accessory Bracket."  

See All Fire Escape Ladders here.

Have a safe year