An evacuation system for high-rise buildings includes an evacuation tube that extends vertically from an entrance on an upper floor to ground level, and a carrier that descends freely through the tube to swiftly carry a person from the upper floor to the ground. A power supply may be connected between the first and second conductors to provide power thereto, and an electrical device may be connected across the first and second conductors. The security devices can be programmed to be responsive to all of the supervisor coded keys andor user coded keys, or a user coded key only.