I wonder why they did not just cut through a window to get to them. It seems like this would have been much safer than setting up rigging to lower them down 35 stories.

Fire fighters are seriously underrated. Well done boys!

Glad they weren't killed by the Vdara death ray (look it up). :-)

I think those window-washers are underpaid, whatever their rate of pay is. And don't even get me started on the firefighter's pay. Those guys will never be paid enough to take the risks they do. True heroes, as most of us are well-aware. Nice job all-around, gentlemen (and/or women, as the case may be).

Firefighters in Vegas earn $175,000 a year, a very sore spot with the locals since they were busted abusing sick leave and overtime to the tune of a couple million a year.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/firefighters-e-mails-indicate-abuse-of-sick-leave-overtime-114984744.html

sure it was hot but it was a dry heat...lol....glad their ok

Try 100 degree heat, humidity at 97% and real feal 110 degrees...alot of folks don't have a clue what HEAT is...walk out your door at 6AM and ...just sweat. But thumbs up to those firefighters!!!!

JS in DS, OSHA states that you have to have enough saftey line coiled on the roof, the length of the building, in order to lower each worker to the ground. Meaning if you're working on a 40 story building you have a 400+ ft. safety line and an additional 400+ on the roof per worker. It sounds crazy but this manuever is the quickest and safest way. First, you can't pull the guy up from the roof, it's dead weight. To break the window would be real dangerous because you have to get the men in through a window opening that has glass shards. The last thing you would do is disconnect the safety lines while still on the scaffolding that may fall at any time. I've done this kind of work for years and watched the equipment evolve and become much safer. But I'll tell you this JS it's always the window washers that have the worst safety records. They are to wreckless because they are always in a hurry and don't check their rigging. It was worse years ago when the Window guys pay was "Piece Work",they were paid by the window. There was accidents back then left and right. I personally fought with my company for a state of the art safety harness. They balked because they were expensive but when I told them I'm paying for it myself they caved and provided them. The harness protects your back from the ring on your back where the lanyard buckles to in case you slam against the building. But the best part is the leg stirrups that that drop down to put your feet in and stand while suspended from the line. Hanging in the harness without it causes very severe pain from blocked arteries. I recomend anyone who works on suspended scaffolding do the same. In Chicago you have to renew your Scaffolding Certification by taking a OSHA class every other year. In the training they will fit you with one,write down the make and model and get on your boss about it. It'll save money in the long run because it all but gaurantees no injury if the scaffold falls.

Window washers obviously have no fear of heights. Doing that type of work, especially in that kind of heat, just adds to their level of professional courage. I know I certainly couldn't do that job. Glad there are those that can.

Kudo's to all firefighters....

BS. They get big money and pensions for sitting on their asses 99% of the time.

They are the first responders to an accident, they risk their lives on every fire call. YOU need to forget 911 should your house catch on fire and just start grabbing some buckets! I'd like to put you in a room with the families of the 9-11 responders...you're an A-hole...

No A-holes serve a purpose this mouth breather is worth used toilet paper.

@Rob tell that to the firefighter's wives that panic when they see smoke in their community, the fear of their husband's not walking through the door in the morning, or the endless nights praying with the children to keep daddy safe. They (my husband) deserves BIG MONEY because they are fearless, have courage, and do not discriminate, not even against someone with an attitude like yours. Not all fire fighters make big money especially on the East Coast and they DESPERATELY DESERVE IT. But, they were called to do this job, they have a heart for it. My husband trains 50% of the time while sitting on "his ass" ready for anything, just in case. The other 40% of the time he answers bogus 911 calls for someone with the flu, toothaches and crap like that. 10% of the time are true emergencies like drownings, heart attacks, strokes, car accidents and the one that scares me FIRES. All firefighters deserve pensions because of ALL the physical ailments they will suffer in the retirement years. I think my husband deserves to relax after saving a child from a locked heated car, carrying a 250lb person up a ravine after a car accident, all the alarms that go off in the dead of night at the station, that jump starts their hearts, those dead children that can't be saved forever burned in their minds, and the gory suicides like the mom that hung herself in the living room. So before you go spouting off that firefighters sit on their asses and collect big pensions why don't you go take a tour to your local fire station. Look at the pump equipment on the truck and see if you know how to work all the gadgets, try and drive a fire engine, watch the days of long hard training that takes place to save an individual like yourself. That was an insult to all the firefighters and for those 333 that died in New York. How dare you!

Why do you read stories that you will not like? And then complain about them?

If that is the case then it begs the question, similar to one above, why didn't they just remove a window and crawl inside? I am assuming by your comment, you have first hand knowledge of the situation and live in LV. Is that correct or are you spouting out you own personal "facts"?

Good call, A and I. I missed that one completely.

Actually, there were 2 workers replacing a broken window and the rest were window washers.

It was ONE platform...right? So, what, the window "replacers" were just stupid and stayed outside, and the window washers were in a different union and COULDN'T pass through the window hole without facing a fine from the local? It was 100+ degrees...forty-whatever stories up. If you had the tools, what would YOU do?

There must have been some reason why it wasn't possible...between floors, or the windows have to be released from the inside...or something. It's still a good question, though.

That's just about the dumbest statment I've ever heard. You are clearly ignorant of construction methods and the saefty measures that take place. To simply blame people that are (obviously) more sucessful that you is just plain stupid..............WOW

Joe is waiting for his welfare check.

and idiots too. SO you can return to where your ancestors came from.

youre an idiot