Firemen used to sleep in their shirt and socks. If an alarm goes off, they quickly step into boots that have pants attached with suspenders, which they adjust on the run before sliding down the fire pole. When it comes to firefighting, every second counts!
| Photo Credit: photo: picryl
Firefighters play a thankless role in our society. Even though many children dream of becoming a firefighter when they grow up, very few end up becoming one.
First responders trained in the art of firefighting and primarily concerned with controlling and extinguishing fire that threatens life and property, firefighters have to get to the scene of action at the earliest as every second counts. This means that every second saved on the way, affords extra time to try and work with the fire at the scene of action.
An initiative that helped reduce response times by as much as 20-25 seconds for many decades was the construction of fire poles in fire stations. And it all came about because of one incident that served as the inspiration.
The blueprint
Back in the 1870s, most of the firehouses in the U.S. were two or three stories. The lowermost floor was occupied by the horse-drawn fire carriages and the horses. The floor above this served as the recreational space for the firefighters, and also doubled up as their sleeping quarters. If there was an additional floor above this, it generally tended to be a hay bale storage space, housing the feed for the animals.
Every time an alarm struck, signalling that a fire had broken out somewhere, there was a clamour to get down to the carriages. The two most common means of getting down were by either using a spiral staircase, which were installed to save up space in the firehouse, or a tube chute, not unlike the enclosed slides that we see in playgrounds today. Both means were ineffective when it came to getting down at the shortest possible time.
Impromptu response
It is believed that on April 21, 1878, a Chicago firefighter called George Reid working for Engine Company 21 heard an alarm while up in the hay loft. Aware that he was in no position to get to the carriage quickly, Reid noticed that the long binding pole used to secure the hay to the wagon was placed vertically up. Instead of taking the flight of stairs, Reid grabbed the pole and slid down in a matter of seconds.
Captain David Kenyon, who had witnessed Reid’s actions, was impressed with the feat. It left him wondering if such a pole could reduce the response time by doing away with chutes and stairs at times when the alarm sounded.
Champions the idea
Kenyon acted upon the idea, pitching it to his Fire Marshall. While the Fire Marshall wasn’t entirely convinced, he agreed and gave permission for Kenyon to cut a hole in the floor and install a pole that would let the firefighters get to the fire engines from their living quarters quickly.
Fire pole at a fire station located at Cutting Blvd. in Richmond, U.S.
| Photo Credit:
flickr prcryl
The crew purchased a large beam of Georgia pine and sanded it down until it was about 3 inches in diameter. They then varnished it and waxed it with paraffin, in order to protect their hands while they slid down holding the pole.
First among equals
Even though they were initially mocked for installing such a contraption, it quickly became obvious that Engine Company 21 was becoming the quickest with their response times. As their reputation of being the first respondent among first respondents grew, the effectiveness of the fire pole came to be appreciated. The Fire Marshall who had threatened Kenyon to pay for the entire exercise had the idea failed, ended up ordering fire poles to be installed in all firehouses in Chicago.
While there is no accurate data to prove it, it is believed that these fire poles reduce the response time during an emergency. Saving a few seconds at the least and up to 20-25 seconds at best, these fire poles have helped firefighters gain valuable ground on countless occasions.
Safety measures
These sliding poles themselves were made safer to protect people from accidental falls. These include having shock absorbers and cushions to soften the landing. Other features include railings or baskets surrounding part of the opening to prevent accidental falls. There are even weight-activated doors that open only when pressure is applied to the poles.
Safety measures include weight-activated covers for the holes to prevent accidental falls.
| Photo Credit:
photo: Tim Wilson / flickr
Despite their usefulness, fire poles are increasingly being phased out. This is because the fire poles themselves are seen as a safety hazard and single-story fire stations are increasingly preferred. The fire poles, which have made their way to different parts of the globe, continue to be in use, with a number of firefighters considering it as an integral part of the whole exercise.
