Reddit reviews Kidde 468193 KL-2S Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder with Anti-Slip Rungs, 13-Foot

Emergency Ladder. Hang out a window. Example

I'm going to approach this from a personal safety perspective. I'm unsure if you are looking for personal safety tips or a more grand view of what can be done as a community to improve safety. But I strongly believe everyone needs to take a personal responsibility for their own safety.

• Buy a gun. Learn how to use and become proficient with it. New Mexico is a shall issue state for concealed carry permits, just need to take the training class and pass the background check. If you don't like or are uncomfortable with the prospect of carrying a gun, I would still at least recommend a shotgun for the home.
  
• Walk with a sense of purpose and maintain an awareness of your surroundings at all times. That means face not buried in a phone screen, headphones on, etc. Keep your head on a swivel, constantly be taking in your surroundings, learn how to discreetly assess other people in your vicinity. Always have a plan for escape, evasion, or defense.
  
• Never find yourself stuck fiddling for your keys in a parking lot or outside your home. Always have your keys or key fob ready and minimize the time you're standing outside your car or house in a potentially vulnerable situation.
  
• Install a tracking device in your car. If it is stolen, recovery becomes easier. Available from your mobile carrier for a nominal monthly fee.
  
• Doors locked and windows rolled up at all times in your car.
  
• Never leave the car running or warming up unattended. I hope EVERYONE in Albuquerque knows this by now.
  
• Front and rear dash cams in your car. Albuquerque drivers are awful and this is very cheap insurance in the event of an incident.
  
• Drive a manual transmission car if you are able to. It's a dying skill and a hilarious number of car thieves and carjackers have been thwarted by the elusive manual transmission.
  
• Park your car in the garage if you have one. Garage full of crap? Rent a dumpster or get a friend with a pickup truck and get to cleaning. Cars last longer and look nicer when garage kept and it's sooo nice to get into a car that hasn't been sitting and baking in the summer sun or freezing in the dead of winter.
  
• In that same vein, enter and exit your home from the garage if you have one. It's a great buffered entry and exit system. Be in your car before you open the garage, and close the garage after you pull in and before you get out of your car. You are never leaving yourself exposed outside this way. I NEVER enter or exit my house through the front door. The only time my front door is ever open is for delivery people.
  
• When stopped in traffic, leave yourself an escape route. Select good lanes for escape and leave enough room from the car in front of you to be able to drive your way out of trouble if needed. Carjackings are unfortunately becoming a more and more common thing in Albuquerque, don't leave yourself vulnerable to someone approaching by foot on the street or trying to box you in with another vehicle.
  
• Keep the interior of your car clean. No belongings in sight, no change in the cupholders, phone chargers, electronics, nothing at all that could possibly entice someone cruising a parking lot and looking into car windows. Anyone peering into your car should see... nothing. If you drive an SUV or hatchback with an open cargo area, invest in a cargo cover and use it.
  
• Doors and windows closed and locked at all times in your home. If you need to keep windows cracked for a swamp cooler or whatever, install some sort of stopper to prevent the window from being opened all the way.
  
• Keep all shades and blinds closed, especially at night. You can see inside of a house from a very long distance away at night. No sense in showcasing your stuff and people do cruise through neighborhoods at night, making notes and looking for easy scores. Deny them that ability.
  
• Get a dog, or two. Train them to bark at people knocking on the door, then to go to their crates or sit calmly with a command if it's someone you're expecting. And besides, dogs are awesome.
  
• Put a no soliciting sign on your door. Surprisingly effective at getting rid of a lot of the door to door riff raff, a large portion of whom are really just people trying to case houses. It's low hanging fruit, but actually works fairly well.
  
• If you have a two story home or otherwise live on an upper floor, have an escape ladder. In the event of a home invasion or something more mundane like a fire, it can be the difference between life and death.
  
• Install a monitored, well signed alarm system and cameras. Don't be that guy on the street whose house is not protected by and showing signage for an alarm system. Guess whose house is going to be first to be broken into? The goal here is to not make your house impossible to break into, just to make it harder than the other guys house.
  
• Maintain the illusion of someone being home even when you're not. That means leave some lights on, leave some music playing, or get one of those nifty TV simulators.
  
• Check your home exterior lighting. Make sure it all works. Install the brightest lights that won't piss off your neighbors and leave them on 24/7.
  
• Don't leave anything of value in your backyard or any implements that could facilitate entry into your house. No power tools, garden implements, toys, ladders, anything. Leave nothing in your backyard that could even remotely entice someone to hop over the fence or wall and help themselves. That stuff belongs stored in the garage or securely locked in a shed.
  
• Trash bins secured where people can't get to them. Shred important documents or anything with personally identifying info before throwing it away.
  
• Take the time to get to know your neighbors a bit. If your neighborhood is active on Nextdoor or has a Facebook group, join it. A neighborhood where the neighbors talk to and look out for each other is a safe neighborhood.
  
• Speaking of social media, don't telegraph your actions, locations, or the fact you're going to be away on vacation for a week. In this social media addicted world, this is easier said than done, but think before you post something that could be potentially compromising from a safety or security perspective. Turn off location embedding on your smartphone's camera.
  
  Remember, it's not the job of the police to prevent crime, it's their job to respond to crime. When seconds count and your life is potentially on the line, the police are minutes away. It's up to you to be proactive about your safety and have the means and ability to defend yourself.

I would tell the poster to get a fire escape ladder, but no one should remain in that apartment long enough for a ladder to arrive by mail!

If his bedroom is on the second floor, and you're mildly paranoid like I am, consider a folding fire escape ladder for this room "just in case." Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005OU7B/ref=s9_acsd_topr_hd_bw_bDLKN_c_x_5_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=M32S5J78KWM9TXQVT470&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=61a85868-2d32-532a-bbf2-56db3677eaec&pf_rd_i=3180251

I too live in a '20s build (in the UK.) It's sticks and bricks though and we have dragged it into C21. I also happen to be my company's Fire Worryabouterer and when the missus decided to run a small pet care business from home, I wrote up a fire safety plan for the place to comply with insurance and local council policy. At no time did I bother mentioning the network wiring (I'm also a reasonable cable monkey).

Fire needs three things: Ignition source; something to burn; and oxygen. Oxygen is hard to avoid. Ignition - sparks are unlikely in such low voltage/power - OK, buy shielded CAT6 or CAT6a and earth it. Something to burn: specify cable with fire retardant sleeving.

If you are going to look into fire safety, then do the job properly and please do. It does not cost a lot. Some notes:

• Get a fire blanket fitted next to your cooker.
  
  
• At least one fire extinguisher per floor - "dry water" (atomized water in nitrogen) is safe for all home fires or foam if that's not available.
  
  
• One shot escape ladder for your bedroom(s) if they are upstairs.
  
  
• Fit plenty of smoke detectors and test them. While you are at it consider CO detectors if necessary.
  
  
• De-fluff the back of the fridge/freezer, cookers, other white goods (especially tumble driers) and use your 'leccy skills to check them regularly for safety. Tumble driers and older white goods are a common source of fire. Can you move the drier out of the house?
  
  
• Check ventilation spaces around devices that spit out heat.
  
  
• Politely suggest the SO stops leaving tea towels and other flameable stuff near the cooker.
  
  
• Check all appliances cough wifey's hair tongs, hair drier ie high power things with probably knackered cables cough. Don't forget the vacuum cleaner and other things stuffed into drawers.
  
  
• Look at wall warts - throw away any that you can't pronounce the manufacturer's name. Ban unbranded charging devices
  
  
• Check your power outlets for spark potential
  
  
• Ban or at least minimise extension cables - add more wall outlets on your rings
  
  
• Ban glass ornaments on window cills.
  
  
• Think about water pipes and potential for mixing water and 'leccy.
  
  
• Think about escape routes.
  
  Spend a couple of hours over all this and perhaps half an hour updating the plan/notes per year there after. Two small dry water extinguishers + a cooker fire blanket + escape ladder say £150. OK and a couple of minutes testing the alarms when you remember. Walk your house and look hard and remember the three requirements for fire and do your risk assessment. You say you are a sparky with knobs on, so bloody well do your thing and at least test your 'leccy circuits for resistance and other standards.
  
  If you'd like a copy of my fire plan, then PM me (offer open to all) If I get swamped with requests 8) I'll stick it on a web server and post a link. I think if you show the boss that you are taking things seriously, then she can't complain and besides, you'll need her to proof read and approve the final release. That way you get buy in and perhaps some cred. Finally and most importantly, you will both be a bit safer: fire never happens until it does and then you don't want to be saying "what if".
  
  https://www.safelincs.co.uk/ultrafire-water-mist-fire-extinguishers/
  
  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kidde-468093-Two-Storey-Escape-Ladder/dp/B00005OU7B/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1520634610&sr=8-3&keywords=fire+ladder&dpID=41kOHXbIyCL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Gotta have one of these on hand!

Kidde 468093 KL-2S Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder with Anti-Slip Rungs, 13-Foot https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005OU7B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_27UwDb9JGTRJA

Regardless, good luck OP. Wish you all the best.

Well I have one, and so do other people I know.
The #1 fire escape ladder on Amazon is $35. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Run

You didn’t say what grade or what floor her room will be on but maybe an escape ladder.. This may be going to far but I’m spit-balling here. Also, if she can’t take the kids with her then it’s going to look pretty bad if she takes off by herself/first.

If the windows don’t open and are tempered she’ll need something like this. I’m not sure if it will work on building saftey glass so you might want to research that more.

Hide

Door wedges that hold doors open can also hold them closed


Fight

Consider adding a tactical flashlight.. Bright, strobe option, Strike Bezel if it comes to that.

If she’s got a good throwing arm maybe lacrosse balls, baseballs, rocks, steel pinballs or something to use in a last ditch effort.

Maybe a whistle - generally remain quite but a very loud piercing whistle could distract. Also, if the time is right it can be used to signal for assistance.

Arizona R21-8-112 5c and 5g


>5c. Identify two routes of evacuation from each bedroom on every floor used by individuals residing in or receiving care in the home. At least one of the exit routes for these bedrooms leads directly to the outside of the home, but shall not lead into an area that serves as a pool enclosure;


>5g. Include the placement of equipment, such as a ladder, that can be safely used by the individuals residing in each upstairs bedroom that have been identified with fire exits.

So that's a little murky. You can say that technically they aren't residing in the room so even though in Arizona you'd have to designate a window exit, it shouldn't legally need a fire ladder. But honestly, it's worth the $33 to put one up there anyways for safety. You can wait for a sale if you want, because I've seen these get down in the low $20s.

I always felt better having an alarm system. We have Simplisafe--I think it is $250 for the starter set and should be enough equipment for a one bedroom apartment. It is $25 a month for monitoring with no contract, and you can add on stuff like carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. We have a temperature detector that will alert us if the temp gets below 55 degrees (for the pipes and the cats) if we are out of town. You can take it with you when you move and expand it. I've had mine for almost 10 years, starting with a 2 bedroom condo and now a 3 bedroom house.

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher. They make small ones now that you can keep under the kitchen sink. Also make sure you have a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector. And a fire ladder if you are on the second floor. Can you tell I am afraid of fires? :)

Find a good pet sitter--one that is insured. I had a friend take care of my cat when I was on vacation...and then she left her in the apartment during a hurricane. I paid someone after that. No one cares as much about your pet as you do. Now it's nice to call someone in an emergency and not be an imposition.

Just spent hundreds of dollars on fire safety equipment because of this heroic article. FYI:

[Interconnected Smoke Alarms] (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003WITCMY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gpvlDb8V524KS)

One on each floor plus bedrooms.

2 Storey Fire Ladder

Also:

Bedroom - smoke alarm, CO alarm, (plus extinguisher in master)
Hallway - smoke alarm, CO alarm,
Kitchen - smoke alarm, extinguisher
Living Room - smoke alarm, CO alarm, extinguisher
Basement - smoke alarm, CO alarm, extinguisher
Garage - fire extinguisher

I would also recommend getting emergency ladders if you cant get down safely from a bedroom window:
Kidde 468093 KL-2S Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder with Anti-Slip Rungs, 13-Foot https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005OU7B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_E07xDbV92QK4V

For shorter distances I'd get this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00005OU7B/ref=mh_s9_acsd_top_bDLKN_c_x_1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-11&pf_rd_r=57GF9F6FNAN9E0JWA20G&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_p=9e9154c1-0b62-558c-85e4-67b673122acb&pf_rd_i=3180251

I got a drop down ladder from Amazon for about $30 and the case worker was okay with that and it just sits in the closet in the child's room. We rent so I needed something less permanent.

Here is the link to the one I got Kidde KL-2S Two-Story Fire Escape Ladder with Anti-Slip Rungs, 13-Foot https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005OU7B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UyeNxbD6NCBJV

Graffiti artist here, it really depends on where it is. Usually we climb, sometimes these fire escape ladders are used, and sometimes the graffiti is old, and there used to be a structure or platform below it, that has since got removed. Sorry if that wasn't very clear I'm at a [7]

Safety things! Make sure you buy yourself a small fire extinguisher to keep under the kitchen sink. Check the batteries in your fire alarms the first night you're there, and replace them every six months or burn the shit out of your food to test them regularly (what I end up doing). If you live in a second-story or above apartment, buy a collapsible rope ladder to keep under your bed! Something like this that you could easily pull out and climb down to safety with if you wake up and find your apartment's hallways are on fire.

Other things I've found are useful are kitchen essentials like a crock pot. You can buy one cheap from Target for $15 and it cooks a week's worth of food at once. When I moved out I bought a ton of those Tupperware containers so I'll cook a good meal for four in the crock pot or on the stove and then freeze three portions to take to the office or to reheat if I get home late and am tired. My biggest problem with living alone is food waste - I'll buy a bag of bagels or something, eat two, and forget about the rest until they're bad a moldy. The best way I've found to combat this is to really precisely plan your meals out. I go shopping every two weeks and I'll plan for 10 dinners, with the idea that most lunches will be leftovers and some nights I'll eat leftovers or go out with friends. So I'll have a list to buy ingredients for those 10 dinners and that's it. I'll buy some fresh fruit and some juice maybe, but I strictly keep myself on menu. It really cuts down on waste and it keeps me from just grabbing fast food on the way home because I don't have anything planned and I'm too tired to cook.

/u/asshair,

There are readily available escape ladders for two story buildings. Here is but one example:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005OU7B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_5RRazbR81YD64

This again is an example, and not an endorsement!

We can't imagine not having one of these ladders, which easily folds for underbed storage.

Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,

Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department

Yes, LAFD has an official subreddit at /r/LAFD

Like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-468093-Two-Story-Anti-Slip-13-Foot/dp/B00005OU7B/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1542306801&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=fire+ladder&psc=1