Kidde Fire Escape Ladder, 3-Story Rope Ladder, Extends to 25-Feet, Anti-Slip Rungs

TBH, I have not actually deployed this escape ladder from a burning building and I hope never to actually do so.The device seems well made and dependable, and I am including a few facts from the product insert that don't "leap off the page" in the online advertisement. These are purely informational and not intended to be criticisms.You should practice mounting the ladder from a window or two to try it for fit and examine your intended escape paths, but do not deploy it except in event of emergency use. It is carefully assembled and packaged to neatly deploy the escape ladder and trying to re-pack it could go badly for you.It has a load capacity of 1,000 pounds, so more than one person can be descending it at a time.The manufacturer recommends replacing it after 15 (fifteen) years; the manufacturing month and year is stamped into the bottom of the lowest rung where it can easily be seen. Mine was stamped in 10/2023 which seems acceptably recent. I would be of a mind to insist on return/replacement if it was 5+ years old already.Kidde has a warranty on the ladder for 5 years from the date of purchase.Don't leave it in direct sun or store in high temperatures.

It was for an upstairs apartment, but it looked like it would do the job great.

easy to use

We own a multi-story home in the mountains. California wildfires have been more frequent, larger, and more devastating in the past, few years due to our extreme drought conditions and high winds (among other factors). We were concerned that our children might be stuck on the top floors with no way to escape if the stairs were engulfed in flames. The only way out: through the windows two or three stories high.These escape ladders would solve that problem for them: take them out of the box, attach to the window rim, unlock the steps, and climb down. We did a couple test runs and coached them to ALWAYS have 3 points of contacts on the ladder: meaning, there are 2 hands and 2 feet -- always keep 3 of those limbs on the ladder while moving. Learned this trick from ice climbing.WARNING: Packaging says the ladder can ONLY BE USED ONE TIME. After that, Kidde considers the integrity of the ladders as compromised. Should you practice? Heck yes. Can you practice? If you're a teenager or heavier, I would advise against it -- practice with ANOTHER unit instead (yes, it'll cost you money, but it's best everyone knows how to use the ladder in an emergency instead of at that very moment). I had my little kids practice under supervision. I also inspected the ladder afterwards before putting it back away.

Bought it for my daughter's apartment. I hope and pray that I never need to give it a real review.That said - it seems well made & would be easy to deploy in an emergency. Again - I hope I wasted my money on this purchase.

We moved into a three story townhome this summer and the first thing I did was go online to order this safety gear. I'm a former Emt/Firefighter who is strict about keeping smoke detectors & carbon monoxide detectors operational, there are fire extinguishers on every floor and I have the cat kennel ready to go if needed quickly.With all that planning, I knew I had to get us a ladder. I went with Kidde because they are a name brand I trust from my days working as an EMT. We used a lot of their products for our patients and I know they are quality.Now, you cannot use it as a trial-once it is deployed, you are not supposed to re use it. You can buy two if you want to run a drill but I think simply ensuring your family can use a ladder properly (hands on the side rails not on the rungs, one step at a time) then you will be fine if you ever need to use it. This is another form of insurance-a safety precaution I hope none of us ever need but it will save lives if we ever do.

Recent neighborhood fire made me realize that this device isnt an option for homes with 2 stories. Seems well made and with decent fit and finish. I think i would recommend to Kidde that they make the aluminum treads with a rubber or other non slip finish. Smooth aluminum steps would be slippery if a family member is wearing socks or if its raining and person is barefoot. In a high stress situation and with kids, climbing out of windows to egress, every available safety consideration should be something included during a fire evacuation and device of this type.

It would be impossible to DIY this ladder. Unless you have a lot of rope and know your knots, which I do, but still - I'd rather trust the engineers at Kidde with my life than something I put together based on a survival handbook.I haven't used this product. The fires have yet to come to my block. For a while, it seemed like the whole city was on fire. I can see thick black smoke on the horizon but I don't hear the distinctive sirens or see any fire engines around anymore. And when fires come, I'll try to hold out for as long as I can before putting this out my 3rd floor window and hoping it holds me and the weight of my bug out bag.Still haven't figured out how I'm going to carry my dog out with me. I might need to put him in a rucksack or a sleeping bag and lower him down over the side with a rope. He's only 60 or so pounds. I think he would be ok like that.The best way to evacuate my place in a hurry would be to use some sort of inflatable slide. Like they do from an airplane emergency exit. But I have not seen a product like that available for resale - contact me if you have. I could imagine it could work with some sort of blower fan.This ladder is going to have to work for me until then. It says not to open the packaging until you have to use it, I guess it's extremely difficult to refold into an operational state. Which gives me pause, because I can't test it. But my first move in a fire is actually to go to the roof of my building and escape across my neighbor's adjoining rooftops to safety. Provided that their homes aren't also aflame.