High Rise Escape Systems Earns Platinum in 2021 ‘ASTORS’ (Videos)

The Guardian Escape System from High Rise Escape Systems provides simple, reliable and inexpensive solutions for self-evacuation and rescue so that people can truly plan two ways out.
The Guardian Escape System from High Rise Escape Systems provides simple, reliable and inexpensive solutions for self-evacuation and rescue so that people can truly plan two ways out.

High Rise Escape Systems, a recognized Winner in the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winner, for SIX Consecutive Years, is pleased to announce the company’s Guardian Self Evacuation & Rescue System, has been selected as a 2021 Platinum ‘ASTORS’ Award Winner for Best Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Recovery System, in the 2021 AST Homeland Security Awards Program.

Ryan Alles, Founder, and President of HRES, spent over a decade in the U.S. emergency services as both an EMT and professional Fire Fighter.

Frustrated and angered by the events of September 11th, 2001, which proved once again how slow evacuations from high-rise structures can have fatal consequences, he worked to create solutions that the average citizen can afford.

Did you know that ninety-nine percent of the world’s fire ladder trucks cannot reach above the 7th floor?

(High Rise Escape Systems, Inc. was asked to contribute to Daily Planet’s 10th Anniversary Special on 9/11 on the Discovery Channel. We were proud to help get the word out about advances in Supplemental Evacuation since the events of September 11th, 2001. Courtesy of the Discovery Channel, Ryan Alles and YouTube.)

High Rise Escape Systems (HRES), has a passion for helping others.

Made up of emergency service professionals, EMTs, and professional firefighters, HRES believes that in today’s complex environment it is irresponsible to believe that in times of danger emergency services will be obtainable, timely, and equipped to provide rescue from multi-story buildings, air traffic control towers (ATC), or other critical infrastructure environments.

The Guardian Escape System provides simple, reliable, and inexpensive solutions for self-evacuation and rescue so that people can truly plan two ways out.

Step by Step – How it Works

The Guardian Escape System works by using a combination of several simple, low-tech devices, that require no power, are inexpensive, have a long shelf-life, and are easy to use.

Courtesy of HRES
Courtesy of HRES

HRES Escape Systems are available in both permanent and portable solutions for easy attachment to a structure. 

Each of the systems incorporates a Controlled Descent Device (CDD), which works like a pulley.

Each CDD incorporates a poly-steel cable with a neoprene inner lining and a braided polyester jacket to protect it against abrasion, moisture, and heat.

Courtesy of HRES
Courtesy of HRES

In operation, a user slides an Escape Harness over them, climbs over their balcony or out a window and the CDD slowly lowers them automatically at the rate of 3 feet per second, which is comparable to the descent of a slow elevator.

As they descend, the opposite end of the cable automatically retracts and reloads the CDD for the next evacuee. 

Then the process repeats. Everyone gets out.

Courtesy of HRES
Courtesy of HRES

Cable lengths are currently available up to 1000 feet (305 meters) or about 100 floors.

Escape harnesses are permanently attached at each end of the cable and full fire-resistant evacuation suits are available.

Other options are available for locations exceeding these heights.

The Guardian Escape System is a simple, reliable, and inexpensive solution for emergency response – so that you and the ones that you are responsible for always have two ways out.

High Rise Escape Fire Resistant Evacuation Suits

HRES offers heat-resistant evacuation suits to complement HRES systems, oversized they are simple to put on either yourself or others, which are attached to a harness with heavy-duty Kevlar thread and connects to the CDD with a high strength carabineer.
HRES also offers heat-resistant evacuation suits to complement HRES systems, oversized they are simple to put on either yourself or others, which are attached to a harness with heavy-duty Kevlar thread and connects to the CDD with a high strength carabineer.

Designed with senior citizens, mobility impaired and the disabled communities in mind, these suits are simple to put on and simple to put on others.  

They are oversized to accommodate an adult and child together if necessary and made up of an Aluminized, Kevlar-style material that repels 95% of radiant heat.

HRES Fire Resistant Evacuation Suits are especially effective for assisted evacuation & rescue solutions for hospitals, facilities for disabled persons, child care facilities, and nursing homes.

Evacuation Suits may be used in place of other harnesses for rescuers as they offer:

The award-winning Guardian Escape System is ideal solution for self evacuation & rescue solutions for anyone living or working above the 2nd floor, and are widely utilized in government buildings, embassies, barracks, and air traffic control centers. (Courtesy of HRES)
HRES Fire Resistant Evacuation Suits are especially effective for assisted evacuation & rescue solutions for hospitals, facilities for disabled persons, child care facilities and nursing homes. (Courtesy of HRES)
  • Fire Protection

  • Abrasion Protection

  • Reduced fear of height for the victim

  • Can be put on much faster with less confusion

  • Doesn’t get tangled like other harnesses

  • Can be used with traditional rope rescue methods

The Guardian Escape System is an ideal solution for self-evacuation, assisted evacuation, & rescue solutions for apartments, condominiums, and hotels, as well as theme parks, cranes, oil platforms, and ships.

Guardian was designed to mitigate means of egress for anyone living or working above the 2nd floor, and are widely utilized in government buildings, embassies, barracks, and air traffic control centers.

(As always, HRES is proud to assist any organization that is addressing safety concerns for occupants of multi-story buildings. Supplemental Evacuation is a perfect solution for buildings above the reach of FD Ladder Trucks. What’s your plan for escape? Courtesy of the American Red Cross, which was also recognized in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program; Ryan Alles, and YouTube.)

Most recently, the United States Military has been utilizing the Guardian Escape Systems on Air Traffic Control Towers such as Altus AFB, Luke AFB, Ellsworth AFB, Dyess AFB, Vandenburg AFB, Edwards AFB, Tinker AFB, Maxwell AFB, and Patrick AFB as well as Army and Air National Guard installations such as Alpena CRTC, Grayling Air Gunnery Range & Selfridge ANG.

Together with your support, HRES is proud to protect those who protect us all!

(The 7th Operation Support Squadron air traffic control tower demonstrates their new fire escape system from High Rise Escape Systems which uses a swing arm and a pulley system to safely lower personnel to the ground in case of an emergency. This device is much safer than taking the stairs or the elevator. Courtesy of Dyess AFB and YouTube.)

In 2007 Ryan was appointed to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Building Code/Safety to Life Technical Committee for which he still serves.

He is a founding member of the Safe Evacuation Coalition, Participating member on the American Society of Testing and Material (ASTM) E06.77 committee on Supplemental Evacuation Devices.

Ryan Alles, President at High Rise Escape Systems (second from left)
Ryan Alles, President at High Rise Escape Systems (second from left)

Ryan is also a member of the International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association (IACSP), and worked with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) to designate the High Rise Escape Systems product line as a “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology” under the SAFETY Act.

High Rise Escape Systems current qualifications include:

DHS Safety Act

  • National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Textbook example of Supplemental Evacuation Equipment – Life Safety Code Handbook 2015-2017 Edition pages 1216, 1217

  • The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has approved our products for their Tailored Logistics Support Program (TLS) to support our warfighters

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security / Safety Act – Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology designation in 2007 to Present

  • NFPA Building & Life Safety Code / Means of Egress Section – Technical Committee Appointee 2007 to Present

  • American Security Today – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards – Gold & Platinum Winners of “Best Disaster Preparedness Product”

  • Department of Homeland Security/Responder Knowledge Base – Registered Participant

  • Safe Evacuation Coalition – Founder & Member Est. 2006

  • International Counter-Terrorism Officers Association Member

  • ASTM E2484 Multi-Story Building External Evacuation Controlled Descent Devices–Member/Participant

High Rise Escape Systems Wins in Sixth Consecutive ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon (starting front row, left to right) SIMS Software President & CEO Michael Struttmann; TENEO Risk Advisory Executive Chairman Commissioner Bill Bratton; NEC National Security Systems President Dr. Kathleen Kiernan; TSA Administrator David Pekoske; Fortior Solutions General Counsel Katherine Cowan; NEC Corporation of America Senior Vice President & Chief Experience Officer Raffie Beroukhim; TENEO Risk Advisory Chief of Staff David Cagno; Infragard National Board Member Doug Farber, Lumina Analytics Co-Founder & Chairman Allan Martin, and AMAROK Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing Mike Dorrington.
2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon (starting front row, left to right) SIMS Software President & CEO Michael Struttmann; TENEO Risk Advisory Executive Chairman Commissioner Bill Bratton; NEC National Security Systems President Dr. Kathleen Kiernan; TSA Administrator David Pekoske; Fortior Solutions General Counsel Katherine Cowan; NEC Corporation of America Senior Vice President & Chief Experience Officer Raffie Beroukhim; TENEO Risk Advisory Chief of Staff David Cagno; Infragard National Board Member Doug Farber, Lumina Analytics Co-Founder & Chairman Allan Martin, and AMAROK Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing Mike Dorrington.

American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now in its Sixth Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.

High Rise Escape Systems

Best Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Recovery System

  • Guardian Evacuation System

  • The Guardian Evacuation System developed a fixed and/or portable escape system to attach to a structure, designed to mitigate means of egress for anyone living or working above the 2nd floor, including: government buildings, embassies, barracks, hospitals, air traffic control towers, apartments, condominiums, hotels, industrial and job sites, theme parks, cranes, oil platforms, ships and more.

Courtesy of HRES
The Guardian Escape System is ideal for self-evacuation & rescue solutions for anyone living or working above the 2nd floor, and is widely utilized in government buildings, embassies, barracks, and air traffic control centers. (Courtesy of HRES)
  • High Rise Escape Systems (HRES) accomplished this in a combination of several simple, low-tech devices that require no power, are inexpensive, have a long shelf-life and are easy to use.

  • Using a Controlled Descent Device (CDD) which works like a pulley, a user slides a one of two permanently attached escape harnesses over them, exits off of a balcony/roof structure or out of a window and the CDD slowly lowers them automatically at the rate of 3 feet per second.

  • As the first user descends, the opposite end of the cable automatically retracts and reloads the CDD with the remaining escape harness for the next evacuee.

  • Then the process repeats. Everyone gets out. 

  • *HRES was also recognized in the 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Awards Programs, respectively.

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards highlights the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.

Thomas Richardson, FDNY Chief of Department; Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, President of NEC National Security Systems; and Richard Blatus, FDNY Assistant Chief of Operations at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon at ISC East.

AST Honors Thomas Richardson, FDNY Chief of Department; Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, President of NEC National Security Systems; and Richard Blatus, FDNY Assistant Chief of Operations, at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon at ISC East.

The United States was forever changed 20 years ago on September 11th, and we were fortunate to have many of those who responded to those horrific tragedies join us at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon.

In the days that followed 9/11, the critical needs of protecting our country catapulted us into new and innovative ways to secure our homeland – which is how many of the agencies and enterprise organizations that are today ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champions, came into being.

Our keynote speaker TSA Administrator David Pekoske delivered a moving and timely address on the strategic priorities of the 64,000 member TSA workforce in securing the transportation system, enabling safe, and in many cases, contactless travel, and more (Be sure to see Interview.)
TSA Administrator David Pekoske addressing attendees at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon in New York City on November 17, 2021. (Be sure to see AST Exclusive Interview, facilitated by Dr. Kathleen Kiernan HERE.)

Our keynote speaker featured a moving and informative address from TSA Administrator and Vice-Admiral of the United States Coast Guard (Ret), David Pekoske; to our attendees who traveled from across the United States and abroad, on the strategic priorities of the 64,000 member TSA workforce in securing the transportation system, enabling safe, and in many cases, contactless travel.

Commissioner Bill Bratton signing copies of his latest work, ‘The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America,’ at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon. (Be sure to see AST Exclusive Interview with Comm Bratton, facilitated by Dr. Kathleen Kiernan HERE.)

Legendary Police Commissioner William Bratton of the New York Police Department, the Boston Police Department, and former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department was also live at the event, meeting with attendees and signing copies of his latest work ‘The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America,’ courtesy of the generosity of our 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Premier Sponsors.

The 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program was Proudly Sponsored by AMAROK, Fortior Solutions and SIMS Software, along with Returning Premier Sponsors ATI SystemsAttivo Networks, Automatic Systems, and Reed Exhibitions.

Why American Security Today?

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast-changing security landscape.

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State, and local levels of government as well as firms allied to the government.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers’ eyes throughout the story with cutting-edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.

Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications

AST puts forward the Largest and Most Qualified Circulation in Government with Over 75,000 readers on the Federal, State and Local levels.
AST puts forward the Largest and Most Qualified Circulation in Government with Over 75,000 readers on the Federal, State and Local levels.

AST Digital Publications are distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals, in federal, state, local, and private security sectors.

‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’

AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.

Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture, and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.

American Security Today

These experts are from Government at the federal, state, and local level as well as from private firms allied to the government.

AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website, and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.

AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.

Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

(See just a few highlights of American Security Today’s 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East. Courtesy of My Pristine Images and Vimeo.)

To learn more about ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, be on the lookout for the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2021 ‘A Year in Review’.

The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of Annual ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firm’s products and services, including video interviews and more.

For example, please see the AST 2020 CHAMPIONS Edition.

It will serve as your Go-To Source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2021 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and/or organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.

From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection, and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION will have what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.

It will also include featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

  • For a complete list of 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners, begin HERE.

For more information on All Things American Security Today, as well as the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

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