Worried about getting trapped in a fire.
May 30, 2012 5:51 AM Subscribe
Talk to me about fire escape ladders.
I just moved into a place with obvious fire damage, and it's got me thinking a lot about fire safety. The house is built on a slope, and the back bedroom where my five year old & I sleep is about 2 1/2 stories above the ground, straight down. There's a lot of house & a staircase between it and the doors, too. I'm thinking I need a fire escape ladder, but I know nothing about them. Can you recommend something simple enough a 5 year old could put into action in an emergency? Are there any tips/warnings I should be aware of? Tell me about fire escape ladders.
I just moved into a place with obvious fire damage, and it's got me thinking a lot about fire safety. The house is built on a slope, and the back bedroom where my five year old & I sleep is about 2 1/2 stories above the ground, straight down. There's a lot of house & a staircase between it and the doors, too. I'm thinking I need a fire escape ladder, but I know nothing about them. Can you recommend something simple enough a 5 year old could put into action in an emergency? Are there any tips/warnings I should be aware of? Tell me about fire escape ladders.
Chicago's Red Cross has a program that helps people plan for fire emergencies at home (putting together escape plans, practicing drills, emergency kits)--I don't know if it's a national/typical program or unique to Chicago, but you could call your local Red Cross chapter and ask if they have a similar program. They definitely cover escape ladders in the program, but I don't see a list of recommended ones on their website.
posted by crush-onastick at 6:14 AM on May 30, 2012
posted by crush-onastick at 6:14 AM on May 30, 2012
Your five year old is, plain and simple, going to need to be rescued if a fire happens at night. She's not going to deal with a ladder or even probably open a window on her own. If you're in the same room, what you basically need is something you can help her use rather than something she'll use herself.
If she were ten, you could probably do something as simple as tie a rope around a leg of the bed long enough to reach the ground. At that point, she'd probably be large enough to open the window and get herself out; climbing down a rope is a lot easier than climbing up. But a five year old just isn't going to be able to manage it.
Regardless, places like Home Depot are going to have a selection of relatively cheap, relatively robust ladders you can hook on a windowsill and roll out in seconds.
posted by valkyryn at 6:18 AM on May 30, 2012
If she were ten, you could probably do something as simple as tie a rope around a leg of the bed long enough to reach the ground. At that point, she'd probably be large enough to open the window and get herself out; climbing down a rope is a lot easier than climbing up. But a five year old just isn't going to be able to manage it.
Regardless, places like Home Depot are going to have a selection of relatively cheap, relatively robust ladders you can hook on a windowsill and roll out in seconds.
posted by valkyryn at 6:18 AM on May 30, 2012
I imagine your local fire station would be happy to give you some advice.
posted by COD at 6:20 AM on May 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by COD at 6:20 AM on May 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
Talk to your county's Fire and Rescue Squad. That's what they're there for! They may even have a source for discounted or free fire safety equipment for people with children.
posted by WidgetAlley at 7:25 AM on May 30, 2012
posted by WidgetAlley at 7:25 AM on May 30, 2012
Response by poster: I was actually surprise to discover, on trial, that she could open the window & screen without help --the window is not typically locked, and the screen has no latches. The hope is that she would be with someone (well, the hope would be that this emergency never comes up!), but I'm trying to plan for the worst: I'm at the front of the house, she's at the back, and there's a fire in the kitchen blocking the way. I will definitely contact my local services. Any input on actual ladders? Styles, ease of use, ones you liked/didn't like, that sort of thing?
posted by Ys at 8:41 AM on May 30, 2012
posted by Ys at 8:41 AM on May 30, 2012
Something like this seems manageable for a five-year-old.
posted by chazlarson at 7:59 AM on June 2, 2012
posted by chazlarson at 7:59 AM on June 2, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
They're aluminum and lightweight, but you should run through how to use it with your child.
The one I bought cost about $100 and I got it at a pool supply store of all places.
Be sure it can hold your weight, be sure you can get it hooked to the window sill and while I don't know that I would do a dry run, at least figure out if you need to push out the screens, or any other things you might need to do to get it into action.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:01 AM on May 30, 2012