As a result of the 1877 fires at the Brooklyn Theater and Southern Hotel in St. Louis MIssouri, a German immigrant, Chris Hoell, wrote a letter to the Westliche newspaper ( a St. Louis German newspaper), suggesting St. Louis adopt a technique of fire fighting in high rise buildings by use of the pompier ladder. In his Instruction Manual he wrote:
" Having been a member of a Pompier Company in Europe ( elberfeld GErmany) for over seven years, and knowing it could be worked to an advantage here, I lost no time in having the matter mentioned in our city journals.
Several prominent citizens took an interest in the matter, and by subscriptions they soon raised the necessary funds to organize a Volunteer Pompier Life-Saving Company, and by the 29th of August 1877, I was able to give the members their first instructions."
After a successful exhibition, held on the 18th day of June, at the rear of the building known as Peper Tobacco Warehouse, corner of 12th and Market Streets, a resolution was passed to incorporate this system of fire fighting into the STL Fire Department."

Chris Hoell went on to teach this method of fire fighting in New York City and other large cities of the time. He became Captain of Hook and Ladder Truck # 6 in St. Louis. Hoell died in a fire in 1887 when a wall collapsed on him. This fire fighting technique, the hook and ladder, safety tube and grip sack has, over time , saved thousands of lives.