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?

i have a route in mind above our front room is a kind of canopy - we would climb onto it to safety - matress - hmmm - there a bit heavy arent they when your in a flap as well? Of course a smoke alarm should warn in eneough time for this not to become an issue should it not?

Always sa dropp a mattress first but most mattress would be a struggle to get out of normal windows. DD's would be ok as it is in sections. But otherwise I think it would take too long.

My plan is to head into DD's room (with DS) as there is a bit over the door under her window, not sure if it would take my weight, but DS would go first and drop down, I would then pass out DD who would lower herself with DS to help her, then me, jumping before ledge gives way. DS would not be expected to catch me .

A fold out ladder could be a consideration if you are quite a high first floorand nothing to climb onto, maybe if you have high ceilings IYSWIM. Anything above first floor I think would be too high to climb down those sort of ladders. Certainly for kids. You do get kid harnesses for LO's but I wouldn't risk it for anything highr than first floor.

If 2nd floor I would look at safe room plan, away from highest risks, accessible by fire fighters and ladder appliance and perhaps install a fire door. Could also apply to first floor plans, especially if you have no chance of climbing out due to babies or pregnancy perhaps.

Time is always an issue, fire is fast.

You don't need one if there's a canopy, lower yourself on to the canopy, then lower down onto the floor, there's a couple of feet to fall rather then 20 feet.

From my cooking, a smoke alarm gives you alot of time as they are sensitive. The fire brigade say 3 minutes from the alarm going off to getting out.

eldon ave, you would have to jump from at least one bedroom, and mattresses are in every bedroom, so they are easy to get at, and yes, may take time manhandling but they work and probably quicker than a fire engine would arrive.

It's not the fire, it's the smoke.

Do a test of each way out and time them. Make sure your family practices so they all know it. Make sure your children don't hide in wardrobes or under the beds.

Oh yes good advice have a phone upstairs, so you can actually call for help.

Lowering a small child in the duvet cover is quite a good idea really, would only work with babies I think and you would have to ensure you still had space to land yourself..

Im fairly sure our kingsize mattress wouldnt go out through the window.

Yup its the smoke not the fire.

I def could not get kingsize out. I would struggle with DS's single.

You only need one. Time all the routes and pick the quickest one. The one with the lowest drop is the best.

TO be honest most bedrooms are 1st floor and not so far that I wouldn't jump out if the alternative was dying.
If you hold onto the ledge before you let go you already take a substantial amount off your fall straight away.
Try standing underneath a window tomorrow with your arms upstretched and you'll see it s amtter of feet. Broken leg maximum but whats that compared to the worst.

Have any of you tried climbing out the window and dropping down to test your route? Just wondered, I worry I would break bit above the door, don't mind if it is while I am escaping a real fire though.

My house is not really big enough to time routes within the house.

Agree with Jackbauer/scrooged and others.

The main lifesaver is to have a good plan and we do the following at bed time EVERY NIGHT.

1. Two mobiles and working landline phone upstairs.

1. Put 2 x sets of house keys next to our bed

1. Put 2 x window lock keys in drawer next to our bed

1. Working wired in fire alarms on all floors

1. All downstairs doors closed

1. All plugs/appliances switched off.

1. Put 2 x wind up and 2 x head torches torches next to our and kids beds.

1. Train kids what to do in a fire (crawl under smoke, do not hide in cupboards, get torch on head, wet cloth over face, wet towels against closed doors).

I hope that will buy us enough time to get downstairs or call fire brigade. Everyone should have a plan like this and be rigorous about enforcing it.

I have been in a fire - it is truely terrifying and there is no time to think or search for keys, phones etc..

DO they really come to your home and give free advice?
(Have to shamefully admit we dont have any smoke alarms, none here when we moved in last year, was planning to put them in when we re-wire but nothing at the mo...)

you could always add a conservatory, and climb onto that to get out.

ours goes up against two bedrooms, leaving one bedroom going onto grass and bushes (so a ^softish landing), and the other onto patio (but that window opens very wide and there are two girls, so two mattresses, in that room.

scrooged and kerrymumbles...what good advice, children need to know what to do.

Im going to discuss this with my son as soon as hes old enough.

In the meanwhile Im off to bed...but after everything as been unplugged.

That's taking it a bit too far skramble. It's the ankles that would be broken here if you fall in the wrong way. Only in an emergency.

If your house is small then go for what's accessible. Is there a ledge? Grass?

They do Panna. They are not just there to put the fires out, they also do alot of things to prevent fires. You can call them and they will install fire alarms for free, do a house safety check for you and help you plan an escape route. Well worth it IMO. They do a brilliant job.

Don't fret about mattress if you don't think it will fit, if there really isn't time, chuck out duvets/pillows/anything handy and lower yourself out, what's the worst that could happen? broken legs?

Can you tell this is a recurring panic of mine! DD1 knows (at 3) she is to bang on the window and shout, her window faces a busy road so that is our escape route as both DD's are in teh same room, rather than get to them and then have to get to another room to escape.

That isn't a good idea Jack. Children panic and hide, it's best to physicaly go and get them, it takes seconds.