Good Thinking

SkySaver offers escape from a burning high-rise

View 4 Images
SkySaver is available for purchase now, starting at US$899
SkySaver
SkySaver is available for purchase now, starting at US$899
SkySaver
The weight of the pack depends on the model chosen, but it will weigh at least 18 lb (8.1 kg), rising to a maximum of 26 lb (11.7 kg)
SkySaver
SkySaver features a Controlled Descent Device inside the backpack, which unravels the fire resistant galvanized steel cable at a steady rate of around 6 ft (1.8 m) per second
SkySaver
SkySaver is rated for a user weighing a minimum of 66 lb (29 kg) and a maximum of 300 lb (136 kg)
SkySaver
View gallery - 4 images

Being trapped on an upper floor of a burning high-rise is the stuff of nightmares, but a product called SkySaver offers a last-resort means of escape, should that unlikely scenario occur and a safer exit is unavailable. SkySaver is worn on the back like a backpack and allows the user to descend out of a window and reach the ground in one piece.

SkySaver requires an anchor point be installed by a certified company, in most cases drilled into the wall above a suitable window. In an emergency, the user would put the backpack on, attach the integrated cable to the anchor point using a carabiner, pop out of the window and descend to the ground.

SkySaver features a Controlled Descent Device which automatically unravels a fire-resistant galvanized steel cable at a steady rate of around 6 ft (1.8 m) per second. It's rated for a minimum of 66 lb (29 kg) and a maximum of 300 lb (136 kg), though a child's version is in the works, too.

It comes in three lengths: 80 ft (24 m), 160 ft (48 m), and 260 ft (80 m), weighing 18 lb (8.1 kg), 22 lb (10 kg), and 26 lb (11.7 kg), respectively.

SkySaver is rated for a user weighing a minimum of 66 lb (29 kg) and a maximum of 300 lb (136 kg)
SkySaver

There are some caveats, however. SkySaver won't protect you from flying glass, fire, falling debris, or other desperate people trying to wrestle it off you. Nor can a user descend and then send it back up to help someone else. A refurbishment program is planned for reuse, but the system needs to be professionally rewound before it's used again. High winds could be a worry, too.

It's also worth mentioning that there are similar products already on the market, like the Rescue Reel, for example. That said, SkySaver does appear to be comparatively user-friendly and requires no training.

SkySaver was developed in Israel by a team that includes a former Lieutenant General of the Israel Defense Forces, plus safety experts, and the firm says it has been extensively tested and certified by a company called Gravitec Labs. It also comes with a 7-year guarantee and needs no maintenance.

SkySaver is available for purchase now. Prices start at US$899 for the 80 ft (24 m) version, with the 160 ft (48 m) and 260 ft (80 m) fetching $949 and $999.

The promo video below shows it in use.

Source: SkySaver

View gallery - 4 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
8 comments
tyme2par4
It would be better to have the reel on your chest. On your back, it forces you to lean forward, making easy to smash your face into the wall. Leaning back is the natural position for repelling.
POOL PUMPREAPAIR guy longwood
Sorry.. I only have one unit, and it's for me ! but it was nice knowing you, see yaaaa
Stephen N Russell
Mass produce, considering some hi rises overseas, produce more Media models: 9/11 strikes 1974 movie Towering Inferno Reasons to have each Hi Rise have them for offices, hotels, apts, condoes Heavily for NYC, London, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Singapore, any mega hi rise needs these for occupant escape.
PeterOsborne
What about a static line parachute setup? Rotated for age and number to reflect the legal occupancy.
sumitmajumdare
It should have a self winding feature so that the backpack with apparatus returns to the point of exit (window) immediately after being released from the ground.
Gerry Flood
Who's going to actually PAY for them? What building owner wants his building modified ? What will be the perception of the people who don't have access? Who is going to jump out of a 40 story building, one at a time? Looks like a a solution for a non problem.
Mel Tisdale
How about a similar system to that astronauts have in the launch towers of space rockets? They could even be mechanised in such a way that escapees wait on an individual platform that releases them when the tube is clear . It would be a fun project and would appeal to those who like to make working model steam engines, especially if the descending escapees drop through a sort of points system into collection bays on one of the basement floors, They can then walk away (in search of a change of underwear I suspect).