Do you have fire escape ladders in your house?

[EldonAve]

Do you have fire escape ladders in your house?

Just wondering as a house down the street caught fire this week

If you do where did you buy them?

[scrooged]

You only need them if your house is more then 4 floors IIRC. The fire brigade will happily come round and help you with an escape route, they do this for free and they will sort your smoke alarms out too and fit them for free if you need some more.

[EldonAve]

So how would you get out of your house assuming you can't go down the stairs?

[scrooged]

The window that's the safest. By this I mean the one over a bay window/over a roof, something that 'breaks the fall'. You should all know your escape room window, in the event of a fire crawl on the floor (smoke rises) and block the door. Choose a window that opens wide.

[IotasCat]

Out of the window?

[psychomum5]

no. I am sure if I did that my boys would think them a fun new toy!

surely tho if you are only one story up, and the stairs are blocked, throwing a mattress down and jumping would be safe enough??

[scrooged]

You would lower yourself down, never jump, there's less of a fall this way.

[IotasCat]

X post

[Ivykaty44]

I have often wondered why new houses are not enforced to be built with sprinkler systems that cost approx £1000 to put in and could potintialy save the life of all those in the house, prevent more than one room or possibly two from being ruined - it seems so simple yet is not done.

This was brought up by a fireman and pointed out to me in the first instance.

[EldonAve]

Okay well we don't have any windows over anything useful - everything goes 10ft down onto paving or concrete

[psychomum5]

eldon, you throw mattrsses down, several if poss, and then lower yourself and jump/let go.

the mattresses break your fall better than plain concrete.

[scrooged]

If your wondow opens wide enough you can drop a matress out first. Then lower yourself down.

They will come out and go through this with you if you ask (not on the 999 number, use the one in your phone book). It's easier for them to go through this as I don't know your layout of your house.

[onadietcokebreak]

Very good question re ladders.

I have been thinking about my fire escape plan this week, think i might contact fire bridage for advice

[onadietcokebreak]

Very good question re ladders.

I have been thinking about my fire escape plan this week, think i might contact fire bridage for advice

[psychomum5]

x-posts with scrooged

[scrooged]

What I wouldn't do for sexy firemen in my house!!!! I'd prefer their advice to mine any day!

[psychomum5]

we have had sexy firement in our house (they gave the mattress advice).

shame that DH was here too really........

[JackBauer]

I was always worried about how I would get DD@s out as I couldn't drop them, until someone mentioned putting them IN a duvet cover and lowering to someone else, that way they would nearly reach someones arms to be caught.
Mild risk of suffocation well worth it IMO, my stairs go past teh ktichen, and although there is a door we never close it so a fire downstairs would trap us easily.
Always have a working phone upstairs when you go to bed as well.

[ABetaDad]

I have thought about it. As far as I know you can buy special rope or collapsible steel ladder that attach to a window ledge or radiator.

Personally I would not fancy using one except perhaps out of a first floor window.

Here is an example - although there are a lot of different types:

www.fireescapeladders.co.uk/x-it-ladder/

[onadietcokebreak]

www.fireescapeladders.co.uk/x-it-ladder/

[onadietcokebreak]

x crossed and link didnt work anyway!

[EldonAve]

I appreciate the mattress idea but would you really have time

The largest window is 3ft wide and the mattress is 5ft so not sure that works

I know you are best to go out of a window which preferably doesn't have a window below it - that one is even narrower

The fire brigade will no doubt tell me all the regs by house breaks so I'd rather not have them round tbh

[scrooged]

It's not the fire that's the problem, it's the smoke. As long as you have working smoke alarms that are checked regularly and have batteries in them you are a winner! One at the bottom of the stairs, one on each floor of your house.

Simple steps, not overloading plugs, not smoking in bed, not cooking when drunk is a good one!

[onadietcokebreak]

Jackbauer....good point about phone and excellent suggestion re duvet cover

[EldonAve]

ABetaDad - yes I've been looking at those ladders

We'd need one for our loft conversion too

[scrooged]

The fire brigade are there to educate you, not to tell you all the regs. They are a useful bunch.