Abstract: An escape/rescue ladder that can be mounted in a non-useable condition on the side of a building and can be placed in a useable condition to allow persons to enter and exit from any of a plurality of vertically spaced openings in the building located alongside the ladder. The ladder includes rungs pivotally connected to the building, a rail pivotally connected to the rungs, and a bar extending and constrained to move in the vertical direction adjacent to the building. The bar is connected to the building by at least one counterbalance spring and to at least one rung by a cable fixedly attached to the bar so that as the bar is moved the rungs pivot from their non-useable positions into their useable positions. The springs are selected to approximately counterbalance the weight of the rungs and rail throughout their movement from the non-useable condition to the useable condition.