A hook ladder, also known as a pompier ladder (from the French pompier meaning firefighter) is a type of ladder that can be attached to a window sill or similar ledge by the use of a hooked extending bill with serrations on the underside. The hooked ladder then hangs suspended vertically down the face of the building.

German firefighters using a modern hook ladder

The ladder was developed to access buildings via enclosed alleys, lightwells and yards to which other types of ladder could not be taken. A pair of men and two ladders could be used to scale a building to considerable heights, by climbing from floor to floor and taking the ladders up behind and pitching to the next floor.

Historical French design

The original French design was a single beam ladder with pairs of rungs projected outward on both sides of the beam. The British version was a conventional two-string ash ladder around 4 metres (13 ft) long and 25 centimetres (10 in) wide. Hook ladders can be used to scale from floor to floor on multi-storey buildings by way of exterior windows. The ladders hook onto the window ledge by a "gooseneck" projecting from the top. Lengths vary from 3 to 5 metres (10 to 16 ft).[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Essentials of Fire Fighting and Fire Department Operations 5th Edition", 2008, p.479, International Fire Service Training Association
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