Need an emergency exit

[tjcc 0]

Hi all,
I work on the twelth floor of a building. Anyone got any ideas what sort of kit I would need to be able to safely lob myself out of the window should I become trapped by fire?
I have only one parachute jump as experience but it wouldn't have to be pretty, just a one off splat minimisation thing.

Cheers for any advice
Tom

[EnricoPalazzo 1]

Buy a rope.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

At 12 stories your best bet is to head for the stairwell and go down. A fire won't spread fast enough to block the stairwell, and they tend to be firewalled off from everything else. The rope solution is probably a good one too. 120 stories is only about 120 feet IIRC, which is only 4-5 seconds of canopy time. Even if you could deploy a BASE chute from that (It'd already have to be out of the rig when you jump) you'd have to stay on heading so you don't slam into the building, and you'd have to land somewhere where you wouldn't get hit by the approaching firetruck.

Now if you were working 30-40 stories up that might be a different solution, but then you have to worry about your launch point -- most buildings don't have windows you can open at that height, and the entrance to the roof is usually locked and possible launch points fenced in. Nothing a sturdy pair of bolt cutters couldn't solve...

Even then, you'd still need a lot more skill than you get from one jump. BASE is something most skydivers investigate after several hundred jumps. In a WTC situation if your life depended on it, I'd risk it. In a normal slow-moving building fire, the stairs would still be a better choice.

Also note that building security will tend to have issues if you enter with a pair of bolt cutters and a BASE rig.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[tjcc 0]

Thanks for giving me such a good reply.
It's much appreciated.

[theonlyski 8]

FlyingRhenquest

120 stories is only about 120 feet IIRC, which is only 4-5 seconds of canopy time.

Must be some little people working there to have 1' floors.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[3mpire 0]

I remember reading about these after 9/11, well before my skydiving started:

http://novatechgadgets.com/executivechute.html

Quote

The Executive-Chute canopy cloth is F111 "zero porosity" rip stop nylon. The skirt is reinforces with 1" mil spec. nylon tape neatly wrapped and stitched with a precision four-needle machine. The line attachments have V-Tab reinforcements, sewn in place with a computerized machine, ensuring consistently high quality and strength. The bridle is made from 6,000 pound nylon webbing (UV Resistant). The attachment loop is covered with a Teflon sheath, to protect it from dangerous friction which may occur during deployment. Finally, the bridle has a line sheath attached to protect the lines where they link to it. This canopy holds several certifications in European and US military applications. High quality standards and materials make this a long lasting device. It will stay in working order for many years provided it is stored in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight. It is required to be inspected and repacked periodically, generally every 3-5 years. In the event that you have to use this device, it opens rapidly in 1.9 seconds to full inflation. The descent rate is approximately 1000 feet per minute. The fast descent is important so it gets you to the ground quickly. You will avoid floating around precariously on air currents. The chute has been tested from as low as 125 feet. The deceleration and landing results were very acceptable, and survivable.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/magazine/15SKYS.html

Quote

After leaping from the window of a ''distressed'' building, a static line secured to a doorknob releases the parachute less than two seconds later. With a descent rate of 1,000 feet per minute, the parachute won't waft the executive down to the ground, but it will slow his descent to a manageable speed. The device is meant to be used only in a desperate situation, but the company assures customers that it is ''survivable'' from as low as 125 feet.

125 feet is pretty close to 12 floors.

[dthames 0]

tjcc

Hi all,
I work on the twelth floor of a building. Anyone got any ideas what sort of kit I would need to be able to safely lob myself out of the window should I become trapped by fire?
I have only one parachute jump as experience but it wouldn't have to be pretty, just a one off splat minimisation thing.

Cheers for any advice
Tom

Years ago someone had a spool of rope that would unspool. On the side of the spool was mounted one end of a shock absorber. The other end of the shock was mounted to the frame that held the spool.

In order for the spool to allow the rope to be pulled off, the action of the shock going in and out would slow down your decent. The device would somehow have to be mounted to the building and you would need a harness of sorts.

A crafty person should be able to build such a device.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[Bealio 0]

If you get me roof access, i'll show you how

[grimmie 186]

FD ladder trucks make it to the ninth-tenth floor. So really you only need about 35 feet of rope

[chuckakers 425]

http://menknowpause.fooyoh.com/menknowpause_lifestyle_living/8445344

Light the trash can on fire and have a ball!

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[rifleman 70]

5 cell? no slider?

Atheism is a Non-Prophet Organisation

[airtwardo 7]

Cause of death: D.I.T. Impact

~ the person went in with a 'doorknob in tow'

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[FataMorgana 0]

http://sosparachute.com/en/site/parachute

This is brilliant indeed. Fun and safety very rarely show up in the same place the way they do in this case .

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.

Stephen Hawking

[3mpire 0]

The thought of a non-jumper picking the anchor for their static line before flopping out the window gives me the heebie jeebies but if they're in a situation where they're doing it, it's probably not the worst option!

better a D.I.T. than nothing, right?

[devildog 0]

FataMorgana

http://sosparachute.com/en/site/parachute

This is brilliant indeed. Fun and safety very rarely show up in the same place the way they do in this case .

hahahah
http://sosparachute.com/en/site/usage

"Instructions for suing the complementary bag"

You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

[oldwomanc6 52]

"Average opening time 1.5 seconds (pilot shut)"

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[dthames 0]

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-05/great-escape

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

Bealio

If you get me roof access, i'll show you how

Heavy duty bolt cutters: Check
Lockpick kit: Check
Roof access: Check!

I should probably remove the lockpick kit from my gear bag. I reckon those could be construed as "intent", despite the fact that I don't actually own a BASE rig, and probably never will. Though I might borrow one at some point if someone offers to shoot me off a particular bridge with a catapult (Just so I can tell mom "Yes, yes I would be shot off a bridge with a catapult if all my friends are doing it!")

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[shropshire 0]

an office on a lower floor (reachable by ladder)

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[billvon 2,997]

>Buy a rope.

Several of the hotels in Korea I stayed in had an emergency exit system in the closet. It was a rope and a glove.

[3mpire 0]

Quote

Several of the hotels in Korea I stayed in had an emergency exit system in the closet. It was a rope and a glove.

whatever it takes, right?

[adamUK 3]

FataMorgana

http://sosparachute.com/en/site/parachute

This is brilliant indeed. Fun and safety very rarely show up in the same place the way they do in this case .

I think they should sew in a few gopro mountings too.

[oldwomanc6 52]

billvon

>Buy a rope.

Several of the hotels in Korea I stayed in had an emergency exit system in the closet. It was a rope and a glove.

A glove? Not even a pair?

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[grimmie 186]

billvon

>Buy a rope.

Several of the hotels in Korea I stayed in had an emergency exit system in the closet. It was a rope and a glove.

That Didn't work so well for David Carradine, now, did it.

[oldwomanc6 52]

grimmie

***>Buy a rope.

Several of the hotels in Korea I stayed in had an emergency exit system in the closet. It was a rope and a glove.

That Didn't work so well for David Carradine, now, did it.

Ooohhhh! That was bad.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9