The Firefighter Rescue Survey shows that approximately 19% of all recorded rescues are conducted using Vent-Enter-Search (VES), and of those about 80% of victims are located in the initial room of entry, most often a bedroom. While VES is highly effective at quickly finding victims, only around 14% of victims across all rescues are removed through windows. The vast majority (about 85%) are dragged through the interior IDLH environment to another exit.

This reveals an important gap: although VES improves victim location speed, most victims are still removed via slower interior paths. Firefighters regularly encounter victims who are unconventional (larger, obese, or slippery), and while these victims can be removed through windows, doing so often requires additional manpower, a window-to-door conversion, or pure brute force that often prolongs the rescue.

If we could develop reliable methods to remove all victim body types directly through the entry window, VES would not only remain one of the fastest ways to locate victims but could also become a significantly faster and more efficient method for removal. While 100% window egress may not be entirely feasible due to operational and environmental constraints, shifting the majority of rescues—particularly those involving victims found in bedrooms or attached closets/bathrooms—to window removals would drastically reduce interior exposure times and significantly increase victim survivability.

A conservative estimate suggests that even a 20% improvement in survivability through faster, more direct means of removal could save dozens of additional lives per every 2,500 to 3,000 rescues. Implementing a purpose-built system like the Search Ladder would make these efficiency gains achievable by streamlining window-based victim egress, especially for larger or unconventional victims who currently require time-consuming alternative methods.