Chute of nylon ropes provides a quick, safe exit from the installation’s tallest building Published June 12, 2009 By Howdy Stout Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Getting out of a burning building fast seems pretty obvious. But how do you get out of a burning building that's more than 100 feet tall when the only means of escape is blocked? If you're at the Tinker Air Traffic Control Tower, you'd say "shoot." Baker Life Chute, that is. "Go to any air base and the tallest building is always the tower," said Master Sgt. Steve Brown of the 72nd Operational Support Squadron. "But the Fire Department doesn't have a ladder to reach that far up the tower." Instead, Tinker and most other Air Force bases rely on the Baker Life Chute, a tube of 66 interwoven, heavy-duty nylon ropes that Airman can slide down in the event fire prevents their escape down the tower's central stairwell. Developed for use in high-rise buildings after several high-profile hotel fires in the 1980s, the Baker Life Chute is now a feature at most Air Force base towers. "They are all over the place," Sergeant Brown said. "It's an easy way to get out of the tower. It's our primary means and we're required to test it once a year." Tinker's tower, which is expected to be replaced with a new structure in the next couple of years, is unique in that it has a central, open staircase without any fire doors to slow a fire. The open staircase also means that smoke will immediately rise. There are no sprinklers in the tower either and, in the event of a fire, the chute is the sole means of escape. Even though the number of personnel in the tower at any one time is limited, those who work in the tower are required to practice in the Baker Life Chute. With a tensile strength of up to 84,000 pounds more than one Airman could use the chute at the same time in the event of an emergency. Coincidental with Tinker's Safety Day on May 8, tower personnel tested the chute, which normally stays stored and strapped to the tower's outside railing. The chute is tested annually and a 12-foot section of sacrificial cord is cut from the chute every five years for stress testing by the manufacturer. Tinker's chute is 10 years old and this is the second time a piece of the device will be sent for testing. In the event of an emergency, a single Airman could unstrap the chute and toss it over the side. From there, Airmen simply sit in the tube and slide to the ground, regulating their speed with their boots. "All you have to do is sit down and use your boots and gravity to slow your progress," Sergeant Brown said. But a word of caution -- sliding down 120 feet of nylon tube in under ten seconds builds up a certain amount of friction. "It gets kind of warm, the friction on your back," said Airman Taylor Nell of the 32nd Combat Communications Squadron, who was on hand for the practice run. "But it's no big deal."