> Windows aren't used for that in the US

Yes they are, and I say this as someone who eons ago lived in a shithole apartment that had a fire scare and needed the Fire Dept to help out. Egress windows and fire trucks with ladders exist for a reason.

Bullshit. Check the municipal fire code in any major US city. There are explicit requirements around using Windows for egress and fire rescue.

Windows above the first few floors. See the thread. You'd have to break into them, since they aren't required to be openable.