The hook lader (also called pompier ladder) was once a very important tool of the fire department as firemen could theoretically reach every floor of a building with it. It consists of a simple 2.5-meter ladder with a long, flat hook on its top. A fireman denied use of stairs inside a tall structure would lean out a window with the pompier ladder and swing the hook through the window above him, latching the hook to the window stool. He would then climb up the ladder, enter the window above, and repeat the process for as many stories as necessary. The hook ladder was previously used by fire departments all over the world, but its use has been discontinued in several countries as turntable ladders and fireproof stairwell construction have provided safer and more effective alternatives for ascent.