Victim Removal from Confined Area

We recently conducted drills in an old dormitory/clinic building built around the turn of the century and in use through the 1990's. The challenge presented was victim removal, both civilian and firefighter, through the basement windows. The question is, what challenges do anticipate having when removing a victim or firefighter in a confined area? There is only one interior stairwell into the basement, making a window removal a very real possibility. The basement windows are about four feet off the ground on the inside. Outside, the windows are gated with steel gates that are padlocked. Most windows have a thick, aluminum screen between the gates and the window. The glass is a thick, single pane window set in brick or concrete. The sunken area outside the window that you have to work in is about five to six feet deep and only three feet wide, leaving a very narrow area to work in and a near vertical lift to remove the victim once out the window. Removing the victim from the sunken area worked well when treated like a trench rescue, the bigger issue is how do you access the windows and remove the gates in such a confined area? What tools do you need? What tools do you carry? Do you have a dedicated Rescue Company that can assist? What techniques can we use or modify to assist us with removal into the sunken area?

                                                                        Interior of Windows