It’s true that the things of the simple confound the wise, writes CATHI WARRINER. Somerset Park resident Jackie Cescutti’s simple idea for a new type of ladder could save thousands of lives, and fire-fighters countrywide are wondering why they never thought of it themselves
Along with the rest of the world, Jackie was appalled to watch the World Trade Centre towers in New York being demolished by terrorists on September 11, 2001. “I was absolutely horrified to see people jumping out of the buildings to their death, trying to escape being burned alive. I remember thinking, why is there no other way out?
“Those awful images stayed in my mind for years as I kept putting myself in their position, having to take such drastic action only to die anyway. You can’t even begin to imagine what they must have thought or felt − or their families’ trauma.
“Then I thought, what about a rope ladder to take you out of the window and down the exterior of the building from floor to floor? And so the Ladder of Life was conceived.”
Because her brother David Twine is a firefighter, Jackie drove him mad with endless questions about fires. He pointed out that every fire has a life of its own and there’s no telling how dangerous fires can become in unexpectedly short periods of time.
Panic causes most people to jump, especially when faced with the alternative, which is to burn, and most people who jump are either seriously injured or killed.
When jumping from the first floor you might get away with a broken leg or ankle. From the second floor, you can still survive but there’s a risk of hitting window sills or ledges if you don’t jump out far enough. You could also do cartwheels which would almost surely result in more serious injuries or death.
Any higher than third floor up the chances are you won’t survive the fall. You would probably be better off fighting the fire. Nearby buildings always seem closer than they really are and many people have died trying to jump to a building which appeared to be only a few metres away. In reality they are usually three times the estimated visual distance away.
David also reminded Jackie that smoke rises, so if you climb down, your chances of survival are much better.
Originally Jackie visualised a rope ladder with knots but armed with more knowledge she came up with the concept of a fireproof emergency escape ladder.
The unique Ladder of Life (which has been SABS endorsed and patented), has been specially designed to handle extreme heat. It comprises a fire-resistant wire cord with aluminium rungs and is a light, foldable ladder 8m long − which can be adjusted/lengthened to suit specific needs. It is ideal for any building more than two storeys high, offering occupants an excellent chance of escape in a fire. It is portable and rolls into a neat waterproof bag containing three brackets which are anchor-bolted at select spots in a flat or office, preferably near the windows.
A clip at the top of the ladder is easily attached to the bracket and the ladder can be thrown out of the window allowing occupants to climb to safety, down to the floors below.
And exactly how strong is this ladder? One rung can hold a load of 1.8 tons and the hook carries 4.5 tons – well able to hold a number of people at the same time.
Alan Kukard, manager of Fire Services for Indiza Airport Management (Richards Bay and Virginia Airports) says, “This is a brilliant idea which could mean the difference between life and death. It’s amazing that no one has thought of this simple concept before. Hook ladders are very expensive and the average flat dweller won’t buy them as they don’t roll up and aren’t user-friendly. This unique ladder system takes up no space and is ideal in flats, hotels, offices and even double storey homes. It’s also a lot more affordable than the equipment fire services are using.”
Jackie’s vision is to get the Ladder of Life into every flat, high rise building and hotel around the world so in the event of a fire people have a greater chance of escape.
Useful info: Contact Jackie Cescutti at 076 062 6272