1930 Bayleys Escape Ladder  "Escapes" like this were common to Great Britain and the British Commonwealth until about 1970.  This one was mounted on a trruck.  At the fire the escape was detached from the truck, rolled into position, and extended up to 55 feet.  Escapes first appeared in London in the 1820's.  A private charitable organization purchased the ladders and hired an oprator to set it up on a London street and sit in an adjacent shed until a fire was discoverdd.  At this point he would get the escape into action, securing the help of nearby pedestrians.  At sunrise he would move the escape to a factory or church yard for storage until evening.  When English paid fire brigades came into existence in the 1860's they incorporated the escapes into their departments, pulling them with horses.  When motorized trucks came on the scene English firemen mounted the escapes on them.

This escape was used by the London Fire Brigade until about 1950.  Four men could handle an escape with ease.  A comparably sized American "Bangor" extension ladder required a crew of six and was much more difficult to manuever.  

On display at the Hall of Flame Museum.