Fireman's pole

Last updated

The firepole in a fire station in Toronto, Ontario Pole position May 2011.jpg
The firepole in a fire station in Toronto, Ontario

A fireman's pole (also called a firefighter's pole, sliding pole or a fire pole) is a pole that firefighters slide down to quickly reach the ground floor of a fire station. This allows them to respond to an emergency call faster, as they arrive at the fire engine faster than by using a standard staircase.

Contents

In the 1870s, answering an alarm, Chicago fireman George Reid decided to use the long-pole the company employed to lift horse's hay from the upper-loft to slide to the ground floor, arriving well ahead of the rest of the company. Company Captain David Kenyon of Engine Company 21 then successfully petitioned the department be allowed to install a pole through the floor of the loft sleeping space to create what became the standard set-up. [1]

Overview

The firefighter's pole is found in multi-level fire stations, if the firefighters' living quarters are located upstairs. When they are dispatched to an emergency, the firefighters descend to the ground floor, put on their firefighting gear, and board the fire engine as quickly as possible. The pole may run through a hole in the floor, or it may be accessed from a balcony. To use a pole, a firefighter grasps it with their hands, then clamps their legs around it, and then replaces their tight hand grip with a looser hand or arm grip to allow themselves to descend, using their legs to control the speed. This is somewhat similar to the technique used for fast-roping.

History

Vancouver firemen using firepoles to leave their dormitory, 1910 Vancouver firemen turning out for a fire alarm (HS85-10-22257).jpg
Vancouver firemen using firepoles to leave their dormitory, 1910

Spiral staircases or sliding chutes were once common, but not particularly fast. Fire houses were also equipped with spiral staircases so horses would not try to climb the stairs into the living quarters. [2]

Captain David B. Kenyon of Chicago's all-black Engine Company No. 21 worked in a three-story fire station. The ground floor contained the firefighting equipment, the floor above was for recreation and sleeping, and the top floor was the hayloft to store the winter supply of hay for the fire engines' horses. During transport, the hay was secured to a wagon using a wooden binding pole, which was stored in the hayloft when not in use. Firefighter George Reid slid down the pole to respond to a call for help once, which inspired Kenyon to create a permanent pole. [3]

Captain David B. Kenyon Captain David B. Kenyon.jpg
Captain David B. Kenyon

In 1878 Kenyon convinced his chief to make the necessary hole in the building and install the pole, after agreeing to pay for any necessary maintenance. The company crafted a pole out of a Georgia pine beam by shaving and sanding it into a 3-inch (7.6 cm) diameter pole which they gave several coats of varnish and a coat of paraffin. [4]

Despite being the butt of many jokes, others soon realized Company 21 was usually the first company to arrive when called, especially at night, [4] and the chief of the department ordered the poles to be installed in all Chicago fire stations. In 1880 the first brass pole was installed in the Worcester Fire Department. [5]

Safety issues

A firepole in Cologne with a door at the entry Feuerwehrzentrum Kalk - Rettungs- und Feuerwache 10-4554.jpg
A firepole in Cologne with a door at the entry

Losing one's grip on the pole can result in falling from a great height; the firefighter may hit an object such as a door extending from a truck; poor speed control can result in injured or even broken legs upon impact with the floor; and burns can occur due to friction if the skin rubs against the pole. If the pole runs through an unprotected hole in the floor, there is a risk of a person falling through it, as well as exhaust fumes rising into the living quarters. [6] [7]

For these reasons, fire stations built since the 1970s are often built with the living quarters downstairs, and some older fire stations have had their poles removed. [7] In the United States, the National Fire Protection Association has called for the removal of all poles from US fire stations due to safety hazards. [8] The fire service in New Zealand has already removed most of them. [9] In the United Kingdom, more modern fire stations are built with one storey negating the need for a pole and they are sometimes removed from old stations that no longer require the upper floors for operational purposes. [10]

However, due to the strong tradition, time advantages and new safety features, poles are common worldwide even in newly built stations. [7] Slide poles can be made safer. Cushions can be placed around the base of the pole to soften landings. Exhaust control systems can stop fumes from rising upstairs. To prevent accidental falls, the pole can be guarded by railings, baskets, a door or a weight-activated trapdoor that opens only when weight is applied to the pole. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire engine</span> Emergency vehicle intended to put out fires

A fire engine or fire truck is a vehicle, usually a specially-designed or modified truck, that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an incident as well as carrying equipment for firefighting operations in a fire drill. Some fire engines have specialized functions, such as wildfire suppression and aircraft rescue and firefighting, and may also carry equipment for technical rescue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire hydrant</span> Connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply

A fire hydrant, fireplug, or firecock (archaic) is a connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply. It is a component of active fire protection. Underground fire hydrants have been used in Europe and Asia since at least the 18th century. Above-ground pillar-type hydrants are a 19th-century invention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firefighting</span> Actions to prevent damage from fire

Firefighting is a profession aimed at controlling and extinguishing fire. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter or fireman. Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural firefighting and wildland firefighting. Specialized training includes aircraft firefighting, shipboard firefighting, aerial firefighting, maritime firefighting, and proximity firefighting.

Firefighting jargon includes a diverse lexicon of both common and idiosyncratic terms. One problem that exists in trying to create a list such as this is that much of the terminology used by a particular department is specifically defined in their particular standing operating procedures, such that two departments may have completely different terms for the same thing. For example, depending on whom one asks, a safety team may be referred to as a standby, a RIT or RIG or RIC, or a FAST. Furthermore, a department may change a definition within its SOP, such that one year it may be RIT, and the next RIG or RIC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire station</span> Structure for storage of firefighting apparatus

A fire station is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire hoses and other specialized equipment. Fire stations frequently contain working and living space for the firefighters and support staff.

This is a glossary of firefighting equipment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fireman's carry</span> Technique for carrying another person

A fireman's carry or fireman's lift is a technique allowing one person to carry another person without assistance, by placing the carried person across the shoulders of the carrier.

<i>The Fireman</i> (1916 film) 1916 film directed by Charlie Chaplin

The Fireman is the second film Charlie Chaplin distributed by the Mutual Film Corporation in 1916. Released on June 12, it starred Chaplin as the fireman and Edna Purviance as the daughter to Lloyd Bacon.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) is an all-risk, all-hazards fire department, providing fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of San Diego, California, United States. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department is the second-largest municipal fire department in the state of California, after Los Angeles and responds to nearly 162,000 calls per year. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department covers 343 square miles of service area including 17 miles of coastline, with responsibility extending 3 miles offshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwriters Salvage Corps (Cincinnati, Ohio)</span> United States historic place

The Underwriter's Salvage Corps in Cincinnati, Ohio was created and operated by the Underwriters Association, a syndicate of Cincinnati-based fire insurance companies, for the purpose of reducing financial losses to their companies from claims due to building fires by providing a company of trained men with proper equipment to work in conjunction with the city fire department to protect life, structures and their contents from fire, smoke damage, and damage from the water that was used to fight the fire. The Salvage Corps worked to save and protect the structure and its contents while the city fire department concentrated on rescuing persons from the burning structure and extinguishing the flames. The Salvage Corps provided this service to all property owners without charge, whether they were insured or not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton White House</span> Historic house in New York, United States

The Hamilton White House is a historic home in Syracuse, New York. The house, Greek Revival in design, was built by and for Hamilton White, circa 1840/42, and occupied by his family in 1842/43. Many believe based on similarities in structure and style that the unknown architect and builder was the same person who designed and built the Moses Burnett House, completed in early 1842, later to become the Syracuse Century Club building. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 due to its significance in the area of architecture and its relationship, through Hamilton White, to the commerce and politics of Syracuse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Bedford Fire Museum</span> Firefighting museum in MA, United States

The New Bedford Fire Museum is a local history museum at 51 Bedford Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. It is located in the 1867 Fire Station No. 4, the city's oldest surviving fire station. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The museum is open between July 4 and Labor Day. It houses a collection of firefighting equipment and memorabilia related to the history of firefighting in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Firefighters Museum</span> United States historic place

The Denver Firefighters Museum is a museum in downtown Denver, Colorado, United States. A nonprofit institution 501 (C) (3), it consists of an 11,000-square-foot (1,000 m2) facility housing four galleries that explore the history of firefighting in Denver. Established in 1978, it is located in the 1909-built former Fire Station No. 1, a building that is a Denver Landmark and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire Barn 5 (Elgin, Illinois)</span> United States historic place

Fire Barn 5 or Fire Station 5 is a historic building in Elgin, Illinois. It was the fifth official fire barn in Elgin, originally housing horses and a fire fighting carriage. Over the years, the carriage was replaced by automobiles. The building is an example of Classical Revival architecture and operated as a fire station until 1991, the year it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It now functions as the Elgin Fire Barn No. 5 Museum, a museum of firefighting history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurel–Rex Fire Company House</span> United States historic place

The Laurel–Rex Fire Company House, consisting of the Laurel Fire Company's engine house and the Rex Hook & Ladder Company's truck house, is a historic fire station located in York City, York County, Pennsylvania. The oldest building, the Laurel engine house, was built in 1878, and is a two-story, brick building in the Italianate style. The original engine house was expanded in 1887 with a horse stable and in 1892 with a ladder truck house. It has a three-story bell tower on the southwest corner and a second faux tower atop the roof on the northwest corner. It measures 48 by 96 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great New York City Fire of 1845</span> Fire and explosion in Manhattan

The Great New York City Fire of 1845 broke out on July 19, 1845, in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The fire started in a whale oil and candle manufacturing establishment and quickly spread to other wooden structures. It reached a warehouse on Broad Street where combustible saltpeter was stored and caused a massive explosion that spread the fire even farther.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engine Company 21 (Chicago)</span> First fire company in the Chicago Fire Department

Engine Company 21, organized in 1872, was the first fire company in the Chicago Fire Department. The fire pole was invented by members of the company in 1888, and after inventing it, Engine 21 had the fastest response time in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northmoor Engine House</span> Fire station in Columbus, Ohio

The Northmoor Engine House, or Station 19, is a Columbus Division of Fire station in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. It was listed on the Columbus Register of Historic Properties in 2003. It was named for Jerry Kuhn in 2002; Kuhn was a lieutenant for Station 19 and died in the line of duty in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engine House No. 10 (Columbus, Ohio)</span> Former fire station in Columbus, Ohio

Engine House No. 10 is a Columbus Division of Fire station in the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The original firehouse was built in 1897, while its neighboring replacement, also known as Station 10, was completed in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter City Fire Brigade</span> Former fire and rescue service in south west England

The Exeter City Fire Brigade was the first municipal fire brigade in Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom. The brigade was formed in 1888, on the recommendation of Captain Sir Eyre Shaw, the Chief Officer of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, who conducted a parliamentary inquiry into the Exeter Theatre Royal fire during which 186 people died, making it still the worst-ever building fire death toll in the UK.

References

  1. Grossman, Ron (February 24, 2022). "In response to White Chicagoans mocking the first Black fire crew in 1872, they wanted to prove themselves as good, if not better". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  2. "Fire Houses and Fire Fighting".[ unreliable source? ]
  3. Black Heroes of Fire. ASIN   B07M6ZG2XF.
  4. 1 2 Alfred, Randy. "April 21, 1878: Thinking Fast, Firefighter Slides Down a Pole". Wired. ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  5. Worcester, MA. "History of the WFD" . Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Castro, Hector (April 24, 2008). "What's a fire station without a fire pole? $150,000 cheaper". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Hamill, Sean. "Fire poles survive thanks to land values, tradition, efficiency". The Associated Press. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  8. Newcomb, Tim (December 23, 2010). "Sorry, Kids. Fire Stations Are Ditching Fire Poles". Time . Archived from the original on December 25, 2010.
  9. "The legacy of the fire station pole: relics being phased outnationwide due to health and safety". The New Zealand Herald . May 4, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  10. Fish, Elizabeth (April 20, 2011). "Fire Station says goodbye to pole". The Lincolnite. Retrieved December 19, 2022.