The Fire Pole Slides Into History

Firefighters have a tough and dangerous job, but there are some perks to it. Firehouses are famous for good cooking, especially dishes such as chili. There is that whole ‘women swooning after a man in uniform’ thing (and the calendar thing). At work they rarely have to descend stairs, as the efficiency of the fire pole just can’t be beat, right?

Wrong. Apparently many new fire stations are being constructed without the iconic fire pole, and reasons vary. Many new fire stations are built as a single story, because the footprint of modern fire stations are larger than before to accommodate more vehicles, such as search and rescue or EMT fleets. When firehouses were constructed a century ago, three story designs were more common, as they provided a hay loft for horse feed and more vertical space for hanging wet canvas hoses; neither horses nor canvas hoses are used today. Also, engines fumes from the garage level often exhaust into crew quarters, and new pole installations can cost $150,000 or more.

Today, many insurance companies are prohibiting fire poles in new fire stations because firefighters are likely to hurt themselves, be it because of a sprained ankle, landing on top of one another, or falling through a hole in the floor. Gizmodo found records of 18 deaths from fire poles between 1890 and 1930 (and four between 2000 and 2014). Despite reports that the National Fire Protection Association wants to eliminate slide poles in firehouses, an NFPA spokesperson notes that it actually leaves that decision up to individual communities, but they prefer slide poles are located in an enclosure or behind a door to prevent falls, and that shock absorbers or cushions be placed at the landing site.

The first fire pole was an invention of Capt. David B. Kenyon of Chicago Engine Company 21. In 1878, Company 21 firefighter George Reid was working in the hay loft when the alarm sounded. Reid improvised and used a hay binding pole to slide out of the loft hatch to the ground floor near the horse carriage. Kenyon, who witnessed this, convinced the fire chief it could significantly reduce response time, so the firehouse fabricated a three-inch wood pole and installed it between floors. Company 21 was typically the first to show up at the scene of fires, and other companies took notice and began copying the pole. The first brass pole was installed in a Boston Fire Department location in 1880.

As an alternative to fire poles, modern firehouses are sometimes built with multiple staircases to prevent traffic jams from rushing responders. Other firehouses have begun installing slides between floors—just like the kind you’d see on a playground.

Yet the fire pole still has many supporters. Estimates state that using a fire pole can shave 30 seconds off response times. There is also a proud tradition of fire poles, so much so that one manufacturer reports installing one in a one-story firehouse.

Ultimately, it seems like fire poles will slowly become a thing of firefighting past, much like the Dalmatian.