Rusted fire escapes: cosmetic or structural?

Surface rust on a fire escape is a maintenance item; corrosion that eats stringers, treads, or connections is an egress hazard, and inspectors probe the difference with a screwdriver and a hard look. When do you bring in an engineer or a licensed fire-escape contractor, and how do you document the call? Post your close cases.

Fire escapes fool people because they rust from the connections inward — the parts you can see from the sidewalk look fine while the bolted joints and stringer ends are quietly losing section. A wire brush and a coat of paint make it look maintained, which is exactly the trap: cosmetic work on a structural problem. If the metal sounds thin or flakes come off in layers, that is an engineer conversation, not a paint conversation. On your oldest building, what condition are the fire escapes honestly in — and when did a professional last look at them, not just your own crew?