For most of us a ladder is a way to achieve the height we need for a particular task, such as changing a light bulb, clearing a gutter or putting things away in the loft.  Obviously, we need to be as safe as possible when we use ladders to avoid accidents and injury, but there are some ladder users for whom personal safety is a secondary concern – the police.  Police units and military forces use ladders to gain access to criminals and places they need to attack in the name of public safety, with less regard for their own. 

In the heat of a police raid or a military attack the objective is paramount; everything that happens before the event, during, and after it is geared towards capturing the suspect so the ladders they use need to be extremely durable, stable and of a high quality capable of bearing the weight of several people at a time.  These ladders are called tactical assault ladders or Method of Entry (MOE) ladders, and are designed to be quick to deploy.  Many of the models available are designed to work in a modular way so that forces can build exactly the right size ladder for the job at hand.  The modules clip together lengthways for extra height and can also be joined side by side, to provide access for two people at once (or more, if you count the officers following them).

It is vital that MOE ladders are capable of bearing more weight than a standard ladder because in a sting operation or a raid the element of surprise is incredibly important.  If the suspect is given extra time to react they could harm officers, themselves, or dispose of vital evidence, so officers need to be able to close in on the suspect in large numbers very quickly.  When MOE ladders are used side by side a double stream of personnel can enter a building, train or bus in a timely manner, preventing the suspect from taking any evasive action.

The nature of the situations these ladders will be deployed in means they need to be highly adaptable; it's no good getting personnel to the scene to then undertake a risk assessment, determine the correct ladder to use, go away and retrieve the right ladder and then gain entry because time is of the essence.  For this reason MOE ladders come with a variety of accessories which adapt the main ladder unit to all sorts of situations. Hooks with barbs along the outer edge can be used to hook the ladder over a window frame and prevent anyone on the inside from moving it, but the same barbs also create a secure bond with the outer walls of trains, buses or other structures which have a smooth or otherwise unsuitable surface for ladders to rest against.

Next time you change a light bulb or put something on a high shelf, spare a thought for those ladder users who are performing a vital role in keeping us safe.