This article reprinted from Architectural West, May/June 2007.
Escape Ladder
The PEARL is an Escape Ladder ThatÕs Always Ready
by Marcus Dodson, editor
Any fire in a home can be life-threatening, and the first priority
is to get all the occupants out as quickly and safely as possible. Many times, the only way out may be
through a window, even if it is on a second or third story. An obvious solution would be a rope
escape ladder, preferably one in every bedroom on the second floor.
According
to the National Fire Protection Association, there are more than 350,000 house
fires every year that kill or injure nearly 20,000 people. People think a smoke alarm is all they
need to be protected; yet escape is the most critical part of a fire-safety
plan. Most deaths are a result of
smoke inhalation when people are trapped in upstairs rooms.
There
are several escape ladders on the market, but most require storage someplace
other than near a window. When a
fire occurs, you find the ladder, hook it to the window sill or the
preinstalled mounting bracket, then lower the ladder and climb to safety.
This
procedure may be easy to do in the daylight and under no stress, but when a
fire occurs your surroundings and mental state can change rapidly. Try imagining finding and attaching the
rope ladder at night with the room rapidly filling with smoke. To be effect the escape system must be
easy to use, reliable, and foolproof.
PEARL Protected (tm) has designed
a different kind of fire escape ladder for second- and third-story
bedrooms. The PEARL (Permanent
Escape And Rescue Ladder) is a permanently installed fire escape ladder. The unit looks like a medicine cabinet,
and is permanently installed into the interior wall space beneath windows. The depth and width were designed so
the unit can be mounted between 16ÓOC studs. It blends in seamlessly to the roomÕs dŽcor and is easy
enough for a child to use. PEARL
features include: permanence, ease
of use, and lightweight design which can support up to 1,500 lbs.
A
PEARL Protected spokesman stated, ÒArchitects and builders have a unique
opportunity to offer permanent fire escape solutions as part of new home
design. This value-added feature,
whether an option or standard, will ultimately save lives.Ó
The
unit comes with a white-painted wood door and frame that can be left as-is or
repainted and finished to match the dŽcor of the room. The door is mounted with self-closing
hinges (but no latches) to keep the door closed until needed. Permanently mounted inside the door are
simple instructions that should be reviewed before the ladder is needed. More detailed installation and use
instructions are packed with the ladder.
Once
the ladder is securely mounted in place, itÕs simply a matter of opening the
door, pulling the release tab and dropping the ladder out the window. The ladder construction consists of
aluminum steps and fabric supports.
The ladder is well made and easily supported our weight. With a capacity of 1500 lbs, several
adults could descend the ladder at the same time.
The
PEARL is a well-designed piece of fire-safety equipment that should be
seriously considered as essential for every multi-story home. ¥¥¥