Abstract: A fire escape device in the form of an elongated flexible member adapted to be mounted at its upper end to a building structure, or the like and a slide mounted on the flexible member having a sling attached thereto by which a person occupying the building may safely lower himself along the exterior surface of the building in the event of a fire or other emergency situation with the length of the flexible member being sufficient to enable such a person to reach ground level or some other lower level by which the person may safely escape. The slide includes a pair of hingedly attached plate members having a unique hinge connection with a loop on one end thereof to which the sling is connected and an adjustable screw threaded member interconnecting the opposite side edges of the plate members to enable variation in the frictional gripping engagement between the plate members and the flexible member, thereby enabling a person to vary their rate of descent along the flexible member.