Customer Reviews

Kidde 468094 Three-Story Fire Escape Ladder with Anti-Slip Rungs, 25-Foot

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

As a former firefighter, I can attest that there is no such thing as too much protection. The Kidde KL-2S 13 foot escape ladder or a good quality counterpart is a must have safety tool for any two story home. The bottom line is that this product and others like it save lives.

Unlike previous heavy chain constructed models, this system is light, tangle free and easy to store. Weighing in at almost 17lbs this unit will hold up to 1000lbs. I highly recommend opening the box, removing the excess packaging and inspecting the ladder without deploying it. Its essential to store this ONE TIME USE LADDER in the vicinity of the designated escape window. As a ONE TIME USE LADDER do not pull the release strap unless it is an emergency.

In the event of an emergency these simple steps will save lives.

1. Close the doors to the room before opening the escape
window to avoid intensifying a fire.

2. Open attachment hooks and extend center support.

3. Place hooks over window sill with ladder hanging on the
outside of the structure. Attach the white end of the hooks to
the inside wall. The red side of the hooks must be outside
the window.

4. Pull release strap to deploy ladder.(To be done only in
an actual emergency).

5. Carefully exit window onto ladder, holding attachment hooks
to provide stability.

6. When descending the ladder, keep your body close to the
ladder to maximize stability.

7. Carry children on the ladder only when it is absolutely necessary.

8. Avoid carrying pets or other objects on the ladder.

9. In family escape, the parent should exit first to stabilize the
ladder during the descent of children or elderly adults.

We already own one of these Kidde ladders, and I just bought a second one for another bedroom. I almost put the whole box in the closet without opening it, since I know how the other ladder works. But luckily I opened the box anyway, just to check it out. The interior packaging has changed - there is so much plastic wrapping and cardboard packaging taped around the ladder that there's no way you could deploy it in an emergency. So be sure to open the box and remove all the packaging before putting the ladder away.

As a firefighter, I strongly reccomend escape ladders to people who live on or above the second floor. If a fire starts at night on the first floor smoke detectors on the second or third floors may or may not activate and wake up building occupants before superheated gasses and fire make escape through the first floor an impossability. Buy whatever brand you want but make sure it's appropriate for your specific needs. Ensure if you live on the third or fourth floor you buy a ladder that long or longer. Take into consideration overhangs under windows that will effect the length of the ladder. Make sure escape ladder fits the window. Use only if all other exits are blocked. Practice opening the ladder and dropping it out the window, but not using it.

I was disappointed when the fire escape arrived because it is a "use only once" item and it didn't say that on the disciption. I bought it to practise on, and if I activate it to do so, I won't be able to close it up again for another time or storage.

I bought this so my grandchildren could be prepared in case of a fire in our home. Very disapponted that it could not be used so that the children could practice. This is a ONE USE ITEM.

As most of the other reviewers have stated, the box clearly mentions that this is a ONE time use ladder. But there is also mention of a 5 year limited warranty when you read the instruction manual. What good is a warranty if I can't determine if it's defective until I actually have to use it in an emergency??! And if it is defective, and I fall and get injured, I'm going to want more than just a "new" ladder. I can't actually say how well the ladder works since I'm forbidden to test it, but I bought it anyways just in case. The warranty makes no sense though, it's like they're mocking me.

I purchased one of these.

The attachment hook is a very poor design it may not work on your window. My window is a standard vertical slider in a 2 x 4 wall with vinyl siding and 3/8" thick interior trim board.

The ladder part looks great, but when testing the hooks over the window I was appalled to discover that all the weight of the person on the ladder would be pulling up on the tiny part of the hook that happens to hook on the interior window trim.

I pushed down on the ladder on the outside and the hood quickly popped off!

No way would I climb down one of these! I will be returning it!

I will be sending an email to the manufacturer

Thank goodness we have not had to use this ladder in an emergency, however, we did try the product by hanging the ladder out the second story window and had our 17 year old son (volunteer firefighter with the jr. explorers) climb down the ladder rather quickly without a problem. It did sway a little, and I know there is a product by Kidde that has a non-sway ladder also, which was more costly. Hope no one ever has to use it, but it is a must on a second floor.

I had recently completed an addition to the attic at my home to a bedroom and needed a way to "get out" in case of emergency.

The Kidde fire escape ladder seemed to be the best choice for the money and Amazon had the best price by far. I received the product quickly and am very pleased with the ladder overall.

Other than being just a bit bulky to store, (considering the alternative if a fire were to break out!) the Kidde fire escape ladder is just the thing to give me peace of mind. It is sturdy and strong enough to support multiple people on the ladder at the same time if necessary.

Okay, I'm competing with the reviews of firefighters so I will explain my disappointment. First, I don't get this "one time use" thing. How am I supposed to "drill" my family if I can't use it twice? As the firefighters would agree, the time to learn how to use a fire extinguisher is NOT during a fire. The same goes for this ladder. We drill and train so we know what to expect; how are we to know what to expect if we can't use it? Even the reviewer who stated he opened the box of a later purchase only to learn it was wrapped and packed in a way that would make it quite difficult to deal with in the event of an emergency. No, this thing is ridiculous. And if you stop and think about it, drilling aside, who would use it twice anyway? If you end up having to escape a fire more than once in your lifetime you're sure to win the lottery on the first try! The instructions also state to throw it out after fifteen years... "Gee honey (as the flames are licking your body), is this ladder 15 or 16 years old?" With all the disclaimers in the instructions, including the statement that you should not deploy the ladder into flames (like who in the world would do that?!); they don't suggest writing the date on it so you'll know when to buy a new one. Nope, sorry, don't like it, I'm probably bringing mine back for the QuickEscape Emergency Escape Chain Ladder by Bold Industries. It's the only Underwriters Laboratories UL Classified escape ladder in the world. Don't get me wrong, the Kidde is absolutely better than nothing. But there are a lot of cheesy products out there that we accept, I'm not going to skimp on something like this. I'd say the lives of me and my family are worth 100 bucks, wouldn't you?