AceLink wrote:

After reading the other posts, I started thinking that fire
departments use single-section ladders to quickly get up on porch
roofs, etc. I don't know where they get them, but my guess is that
they are expensive. Maybe you could stop by a local fire station and
ask if you can see what they use.

And you will probably find that they are heavier then whatever ext. ladders
you can get at Lowes, etc. are. They have some pretty tough safety standards
to meet, and that is mostly done by their strength, which equates to weight.