I'm not sure why to be honest, with the wire cutters equipped it goes a TON faster for me. This might sound dumb, but I would either try unequipping them and reequipping them or since it sounds like you're not really far into it do a fresh install of the game. Otherwise, the AI for both the girls seems to be the exact same, flashlights so far as I've noticed don't alert them and it's mainly just line of sight based, so if they see you just whip around corner or two as fast as possible. If it helps, try to buy the radar for $25 as soon as possible, which it's a single time use but it will help you learn exactly where the ladder and hatch usually is (they have random spawns but to me it seems like there's a pattern of sorts) and you can just run straight there. Other than that, the small ladder will always be in a little locker thing you found it in the first time and it'll always be against the wall (Most of the time, it'll be on the very outside wall (Imagine a square with like three other squares inside of it, that represents the map. The ladder most of the time will be against the wall on the most outer layer of the squares, so when you spawn just try to trace the wall) and the hatch is also usually on the farthest end of where you found the ladder.
Okay I'll see about a fresh install but I'd have to download the zip again. Will I also have to find and delete the save data too or should I see if I can erase that ingame? Okay change that I'd have to find it as there's no way ingame to delete save data/ Just so I know how what do I need to do a fresh install?