Fire Escape Inspection Logger
Fire escape condition log — anchors, treads, railings, drop ladder, paint/rust and egress path; offline GPS log for owners and inspectors.
New fire escape inspection
Visual checks annually; many cities require professional inspection/load verification on 5-year cycles; paint cycles per exposure.
Field guide: Fire Escape Inspection Logger
Fire escapes are century-old steel asked to perform once, perfectly, with no rehearsal — and the failure reports repeat three findings: anchors pulled from soft old masonry, treads rusted thin under thick paint, and drop ladders seized exactly when someone's weight finally hit them. This logger walks the load path the way an engineer would: wall anchorage first (the escape is only as strong as its connection), then walking surfaces, rails, and the drop ladder that must be physically tested, not admired.
The egress panel covers the half of fire-escape failure that's not structural: the window painted shut, the security bars without an inside release, the window AC unit that turns an escape route into a wall. 'Recently painted' earns its own suspicious entry — paint over rust is how escapes pass casual inspection while losing section, and probing a few suspect spots tells the truth fast.
Field tips
- Test the drop ladder on every inspection with controlled load — a rope from above beats a volunteer below.
- Tap-test treads near stringer connections where water sits; thick paint hides thin steel exactly there.
- Photograph anchor points up close: cracked masonry radiating from anchors is the highest-consequence finding on the structure.
Records are stored only in this browser (localStorage) — export regularly. This tool aids field documentation; it does not replace your agency's official inspection procedures or engineering judgment.
Fire Escape Inspection Logger — Fire escape condition log — anchors, treads, railings, drop ladder, paint/rust and egress path; offline GPS log for owners and inspectors. Free, offline-first and GPS-aware: open it on any phone, log in seconds, and hand your GIS team clean GeoJSON.
About Fire Escape Inspection Logger
Fire escapes are century-old steel asked to perform once, perfectly, with no rehearsal — and the failure reports repeat three findings: anchors pulled from soft old masonry, treads rusted thin under thick paint, and drop ladders seized exactly when someone's weight finally hit them. This logger walks the load path the way an engineer would: wall anchorage first (the escape is only as strong as its connection), then walking surfaces, rails, and the drop ladder that must be physically tested, not admired.
How to use Fire Escape Inspection Logger
- 1Enter the building & escape id and tap 📍 GPS to pin the fire escape's exact location (or type coordinates).
- 2Work through the fire escape checklist — every field matches what a real inspection program records.
- 3Pick a condition on the Serviceable / Maintenance due / Load test/engineer needed / Unsafe — do not use ⚠ scale; actionable findings are tallied automatically.
- 4Add notes and log the inspection — it saves instantly to your device, even with zero signal.
- 5Export the round as CSV for your asset system, GeoJSON for the GIS, or print a clean report.
Why use Fire Escape Inspection Logger?
- ✓100% free, no sign-up — built for crews, not per-seat licences
- ✓Offline-first: records save to your device instantly and survive dead zones
- ✓One-tap GPS tagging with accuracy capture on every record
- ✓Exports CSV for asset systems, GeoJSON for GIS, and print-ready reports
- ✓Checklist and guidance aligned with IFC/IBC egress maintenance provisions
Frequently asked questions
Are fire escapes still legal means of egress?+
Generally grandfathered where they exist (new construction uses interior stairs), but they must be maintained functional — and many cities (Boston, San Francisco, others) require periodic professional certification, often with load testing or engineering affidavits on 5-year cycles. An unmaintained escape is a code violation and a negligence case in waiting.
What does a load test involve?+
Common practice applies a distributed proof load (historically ~150 psf or a specified line load) or an engineer's calculation-plus-probe alternative, verifying anchorage and members under load with deflection checks. It's specialist work with rigging below — this log's findings (anchor movement, deflecting platforms) are what trigger it ahead of schedule.
Why are painted-shut windows such a fatal pattern?+
Because escapes are tested at 3 a.m. by occupants in smoke: a window that needs tools isn't an exit. Fire investigations repeatedly find serviceable escapes behind inoperable windows and barred openings without quick-release. The interior side of egress is an inspection item with the same weight as the steel outside.
Can rust be painted over to pass inspection?+
It can — and it's the known abuse this log's 'recently painted' flag targets. Proper practice is scraping to sound metal, treating, and verifying remaining section before coating; laminar rust or pitting found under probing reclassifies the whole escape pending assessment. Paint is corrosion protection, not structural repair.
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