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Firehouse Poles on the Increase?
Upsurge Seen in Firehouse Pole Business
"Though many cities have eliminated the poles, they're making a comeback at Richfield's new fire station and in other places. Many cities no longer have room to build sprawling single-story fire stations that don't need poles. And in multilevel stations, firefighters say, more than 130 years of tradition proves that the fastest -- and in some cases, the safest -- way to the first floor is to grab a pole, wrap legs around it and slide down."
""It's a revival business," said Arthur Anthony, owner of the nation's only remaining major maker of the poles, McIntire Brass Works of Somerville, Mass. "They went out of favor for a while because, west of the Mississippi, they built all one-story stations. ... Now, roughly 75 percent of our business is west of the Mississippi.""
Do you have a pole in your firehouse? Was it a consideration in any upgrade or building of new quarters?
What do you think about the statement of "tradition" and "safety"?
Have a firehouse pole? Post a photo of it!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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Well duh! If you don't have a pole where are the strippers going to dance?
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Permalink Reply by Clay Reynolds on
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Yes we have a fire pole at our main station. Approximate 10 years ago a second story was added to the building and I pushed for getting a pole using the it's "tradition" for a fire station to have a pole, a little more pushing and proding and we got the pole. Grant it it's not a nice brass pole but 3" aluminim, beggars can't be chosey. The pole goes from our meeting room to the apparatus bay, you have to open a door to gain access to the platform then one little step off to the pole.
Firefighting is a profession filled with tradition and alot of safety issues but it's all in how you go about it. Not everybody uses the pole when the tones drop but with 20 firefighters in a meeting and you're trying to be first one on the truck to make the run the pole sure is faster then the stairs. No one has ever been hurt using it, you just gotta use a little common sense.
Some traditions are good to phase out but a fire pole in a firehouse is a good one to keep. Unfortunately or fortunately we haven't had any strippers stop in yet to try out the pole.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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We had a two-story station with poles, but the poles were closed off many years ago due to numerous injuries. That station has been demolished and is in the process of replacement. All of our stations are single-story structures, so there is no need for poles, stairs, or other interior elevation change.
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Permalink Reply by capcityff on
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We have probably 25 fire houses with poles. I love the tradition and I'm not worried too much about the safety. Most guys only take the pole for box alarms. Personally I never slide for medicals, fire alarms, or any other type of run. It's not as competitive getting there like during a box alarm. It does suck walking up the stairs on the way back though. Like someone else mentioned, we can't build single story houses. It doesn't work in urban cities because there's no room. East cost cities are too dense.
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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We have poles... Building a new station right now with poles in the design. One story ranch stations are lame and take alot of time to get from one end to the other. Most pole injuries occur during occupational play time.
I would suspect their may be some at legit work places like the entertainment clubs.
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Permalink Reply by Ron Briggs on
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I found a station in Minnesota that has 4 poles in it. Found this out when I was able to tour the station in October. Will be going back to that dept and station in a couple of weeks to drop off some of my photos for them to have to help train from. It may not be my dept. but it could still help them. Besides, I am going to that city to visit relatives for 4 days so it isn't out of my way and the capt. that gave me the tour said they have only 1 person who does photos when he/she is in town and that is only 4 times a year. I then got permission to shoot scenes when I am in town.
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