Chief Hurshel Shank from the Gettysburg Fire Department submitted this interesting basement while at an automatic fire alarm of a single family dwelling. The only other exits that were noted were your typical smaller high basement windows.
To exit this basement, one would have to open the sliding glass door, walk into the window well and climb the ladder to ground level. There also was a heavy duty grate found over top of window well, keeping intruders out.
Chief Shank reminds us all to check basement window wells during a 360, you never know what surprises will be found.
Just curious if there was any locking mechanism for the large steel grate or if the weight alone was supposed to be a deterrent? Thanks
The purpose of the bars is to keep rodents out of the window well. And they are to be easily removalble, and can’t be locked. Bars are used in northern areas instead of plastic covers so that it will not accumulate snow and add weight making removable more difficult.
I’d be scared if the rodents around my house were too big to pass through those grates! Also how often do those window wells get shoveled out after snow?