This Personal Rescue Backpack SkySaver Lets You Rappel Down Buildings

"If you live in high-rise apartments, this would be a great life saver. Information was found on nocamel.com."

This Personal Rescue Backpack SkySaver Lets You Rappel Down Buildings

By Roseanne Tabachnik, NoCamels August 20, 2015

With thousands of skyscrapers around the world, and many more under construction, the new generation of mega-buildings calls for effective firefighting and rescue methods to keep tenants safe and away from danger.

One innovative evacuation solution is now provided by Israeli startup SkySaver, whose brand new emergency backpack is designed to help residents escape from high-rises. This lifesaving kit comes equipped with a cable cord that, in case of an emergency, is attached to a pre-installed anchor located near a window. When fire breaks out, the emergency device is strapped on with buckles that wrap around the waist and between the legs. Then, the individual starts rappelling down the side of the building. Yep, just like Spiderman.

Since infernos pose great challenges to fire departments, requiring a high degree of organization to be successfully contained and extinguished, it’s important to rescue as many people as possible before and while the fire is put out. And that’s exactly when the SkySaver says it can come in.

Lessons learned from 9/11

The idea for the rescue device was conceived after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The main purpose of the backpack was to create a device that is wearable and user-friendly, a so that people don’t have to depend on others to be saved; they can rescue themselves, according to the company.

“Our backpack is very compact, and a person could actually travel with it,” CEO Avner Farkash tells NoCamels.

Founded in 2012, the startup has already created three different models of the emergency pack, depending on the height of the building; cable lengths range from 25 meters to 80 meters, which means that at this point, SkySaver can serve residents of buildings of up to 20 floors.

The varying models weigh between 8 kilograms to 12 kilograms and can carry up to 136 kilograms. Depending on the length of the cord, the SkySaver is priced between $750 and $850.

And while the device is only intended for one-time use, Farkash notes the SkySaver is worth the investment. Alternative devices, such as the Rescue Reel and the Evacuator, are reportedly more expensive.

SkySaver’s R&D center in Jerusalem is now developing additional solutions with even longer cables in order to escape skyscraper fires. The three new products are expected to hit the market later this year, and will be priced similarly to the original SkySaver device. Additionally, the startup is in the process of creating a kit designed to help carry down toddlers, older children, and even pets to safety.

Residential Security

Residential security is a critical component of any personal security program. The following guidelines should be used in reviewing your residential security.

❑ All entrances, including service doors and gates, should have quality locks— preferably deadbolt. 

         Check your:

Front Door

Rear Door

Garage Door(s)

Service Door(s)

Patio Door

Sliding Glass Door

Gate Swimming Pool

Gate Guest House Door(s)

❑ Don’t leave keys “hidden” outside the home. Leave an extra key with a trusted neighbor or colleague.

❑ Keep doors locked even when you or family members are at home.

❑ Have window locks installed on all windows. Use them.

❑ Lock louvered windows—especially on the ground floor.

❑ Have locks installed on your fuse boxes and external power sources.

❑ If you have window grilles and bars, review fire safety. Don’t block bedroom windows with permanent grilles if the windows may be used for emergency egress.

❑ If you have burglar or intrusion alarms, check and use them.

❑ Keep at least one fire extinguisher on each floor, and be sure to keep one in the kitchen. Show family members and household help how to use them.

  ❑ Periodically check smoke detectors and replace batteries when necessary.

  ❑ Keep flashlights in several areas in the house. Check the batteries often, especially if you have children in your home. (They love to play with flashlights!)

  ❑ A family dog can be a deterrent to criminals. But remember, even the best watch-dog can be controlled by food or poison. Do not install separate “doggy doors” or entrances. They also can admit small intruders.

  ❑ Choose a location that offers the most security. The less remote, the safer your home will be, particularly in a neighbor-hood close to police and fire protection.

  ❑ Know your neighbors. Develop a rapport with them and offer to keep an eye on each other’s homes, especially during trips.

  ❑ If you observe any unusual activity, report it immediately to your local Law Enforcement.

❑ Establish safe family living patterns. If you understand the importance of your contribution to the family’s overall security, the entire household will be safer.

❑ While at home, you and your family should rehearse safety drills and be aware of procedures to escape danger and get help.

❑ Educate family members and domestic help in the proper way to answer the telephone at home.

❑ Vary daily routines; avoid predictable patterns.

❑ Know where all family members are at all times.

❑ Use these same guidelines while on leave or in travel status.

Establishing a Safe haven

Follow three basic steps in setting up a safe-haven in your home:

❑ Designate an internal room;

❑ Install a two-way communications system or telephone; and

❑ Furnish the safe haven with an emergency kit. It is highly unlikely you would spend more than a few hours in a safe haven; however, the sup-plies listed below are suggested for your maxi-mum safety. Your security officer can tell you more about how to select and secure your safe haven.

The following is a checklist of possible safe haven supplies:

Fire extinguisher

Fresh water

5-day supply of food

Candles, matches, flashlight

Extra batteries

Bedding

Toilet facilities

Sterno stove, fuel

Shortwave or other radio

Medical/first aid kit

Other items for your comfort and leisure—a change of clothing, books, games 

NOT ALL THIEVES ARE STUPID

Discounting or under estimating the threat, be it the enemy or common criminals is a mistake many people have to learn,...sometimes over and over.

Consider these situations and let someone else's mistakes strengthen your personal protection.

1. LONG - TERM PARKING

Some people left their car in the long-term parking at San Jose while away, and someone broke into the car. Using the information on the car's registration in the glove compartment, they drove the car to the people's home in Pebble Beach and robbed it. So I guess if we are going to leave the car in long-term parking, we should NOT leave the registration/insurance cards in it, nor your remote garage door opener. This gives us something to think about with all our new electronic technology.

2. GPS:

Someone had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard. When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house.

They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents. Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in it. Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

3. CELL PHONES:

I never thought of this! This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her cell phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says, "I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago." When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank

Lessons:

a. Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc.

b. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.

c. Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet "family and friends" who text you.

4. PURSE IN THE GROCERY CART SCAM:

A lady went grocery-shopping at a local mall and left her purse sitting in the children's seat of the cart while she reached something off a shelf/ Wait till you read the WHOLE story! Her wallet was stolen, and she reported it to the store personnel. After returning home, she received a phone call from the Mall Security to say that they had her wallet and that although there was no money in it, it did still hold her personal papers. She immediately went to pick up her wallet, only to be told by Mall Security that they had not called her. By the time she returned home again, her house had been broken into and burglarized. The thieves knew that by calling and saying they were Mall Security, they could lure her out of her house long enough for them to burglarize it.

Protect Yourself!