For those Fire Fighters that have been around for many years, the mental picture of a typical Fire House or Fire Station includes a Fire Pole. Fire poles or sliding poles were an iconic fixture of the typical firehouse years ago. They date back to the mid-1800s and were common in multi-story fire stations up through the 20th century. Just like the first time donning bunker gear (firefighter personal protective clothing), the first emergency response, or the first working fire, the first time a new firefighter slid a fire pole was a memorable initiation experience. For many firefighters, it marked the beginning of their professional occupation as a career or volunteer firefighter. Just as the days of riding tailboard on the fire apparatus came to a close due to safety considerations, so too has the use of fire poles in many fire departments in the recent past. So how and when did this historic traditional piece of firefighting paraphernalia come into use?
When I was researching the article on the “Era of the Fire Horse” for a past edition of the FFAM magazine, I found various references to fire poles. This prompted my interest in further research on the historic use of fire poles in the fire service. I soon found that I had set myself a difficult and puzzling project as a fire service historian. As is the case with much of the history of the American Fire Service, the customs and traditions regarding fire poles are not well documented. In most cases, oral histories and bragging rights have blurred the facts over time. However, let us see if we can establish a more definitive account of the history of the fire pole.
Definition of a Fire Pole
First, let us define the piece of firefighting paraphernalia or firehouse architectural feature we are discussing. The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) book on Fire Terms, A Guide To Their Meaning and Use, published in 1980, defines a “pole” or “sliding pole” as “a pole, usually of brass, used by firefighters to descend from the upper floors of a fire station to the apparatus floor.”1 Interestingly, the NFPA’s Illustrated Dictionary of Fire Service Terms, copyright 2006, does not list or reference a pole, fire pole, or sliding pole at all.2 So in 26 years, the term was completely dropped from a major fire service publication of terminology. Perhaps this occurred due to the intent to phase out the use of poles in fire service culture, or was it just an oversight (more on this later).
For over a century firefighters have used the fire pole or sliding pole to initiate a fast egress from the upper floor of a fire station to get to the main apparatus floor by sliding down a pole as part of a quick response turn out to a fire call. This method saved valuable seconds instead of rushing downstairs to be able to quickly staff the fire apparatus to exit the station. However, not every fire station had or needed a fire pole. One-story stations didn’t require one and even two or multi-story stations might be designed with wide stairs or personnel chutes or slides to quickly relocate personnel to the apparatus floor instead of using fire poles.
Changes to Fire House Architecture
In the early days of the American Fire Service, firehouses were usually one story and just large enough to house the fire society or department’s equipment, usually, a hand-pulled and powered fire engine (pump) and other equipment. More affluent fire companies might have a social hall or meeting room attached or constructed as a second floor. In many cases, an outside staircase was used for access to save space inside on the apparatus floor. With the coming age of steam-powered fire engines followed quickly by the era of the fire horse to pull the apparatus, firehouses/stations were converted where possible and others were torn down to build multi-story stations to house the larger apparatus, horses, and infrastructure.3 To maintain the boilers, steam engines, and care for the horses, volunteer shifts or the addition of the first full-time firefighters were added to man the stations 24 hours a day, thus necessitating the need for sleeping and living quarters. Usually, with limited building space in towns, the answer was to add these quarters as a second story. The story goes, “as horses moved into the stations the men retreated by moving their quarters upstairs.”4 Now with constant staffing and the invention of the quick hitch horse harness, the modern-day concept of quick response was born. To enhance this concept, a quick means of getting from the living quarters to the fire apparatus floor was needed.
Some stories have been related that initially, firefighters came up with the idea to slide down the banisters of straight staircases to speed their path to the apparatus floor. They accomplished a quick descent by “greasing or paraffining the banisters [handrails] of the staircase.”5 Though this is not well documented it may have been the first innovation that helped lead to the idea of sliding down a pole. The original idea may have come from sea-faring lore to quickly slide the handrails to get down to the next deck.
In some cases, spiral staircases were used to limit the space taken up by a regular long staircase descending to the apparatus floor. Some accounts relate that spiral stairs were used to keep the fire horses from climbing the stairs to be with the firemen or get food treats. Though there are accounts of fire horses climbing stairs, there is limited proof that spiral stairs were used to specifically prevent this. When staircases were used, usually simple gates prevented the horses from climbing the stairs. However, where spiral stairs were used (because of space limitations) for access to the second floor, this made it more difficult and slower for the fireman to climb down the stairs to make a quick response, especially at night. Spiral staircases may have been another causative factor in the development or installation of fire poles for getting down to the apparatus floor more quickly.
The First Fire Pole
For many of the long-time firefighters, the fire pole has been in our lexicon since we joined the fire service, whether our first fire department had a station with a fire pole or not, we all took the concept of a fire pole as part of fire service tradition, and never questioned how it came to be. But apparently for the fire service historian, the tracing of the development of the fire pole has become a controversial topic. So who invented or instituted the use of the first fire pole?
It is reasonable to assume that over time for various reasons people slid down ropes, masts of sailing ships, etc. But let’s look specifically at fire service development and use. My research uncovered several books, articles, and internet references regarding various stories of who first came up with the concept of the fire pole.
St. Joseph Fire Department
Current state history has the fire pole first invented and used in St. Joseph (MO) Fire Department. The pole was made out of wood and an estimated date of it being first used around 1871. Part of the history of the fire pole in St. Joseph F.D. comes from information by Chief Leo J. Urbanski (served with SJFD from 1901 to 1952, appointed chief in 1927). He was featured on the national radio program “This is Your Life” in 1950 recognizing his long and heroic career. He stated during the program that SJFD had the first fire pole. The St. Joseph-News Press article from 1962 related that: “the sliding pole, so common in all fire stations now, got its start in St. Joseph. Only in Urbabnski’s fledgling days on the department, the pole was of waxed wood and not brass as in late years.”6 However, the documentation that was found of St Joseph having the first pole comes from these later recounts in newspaper articles with no date of reference given to when the pole was first specifically used. St. Joseph Fire Museum does have a picture of their Hook and Ladder Company # 1 showing their “Quick-Hitch (horse) Harness” listed as invented in 1888. In the picture, there is clearly shown a fire pole coming down from the upper floor. So this leads one to believe the fire pole was instituted sometime well before this picture. A special note here, according to author Herbert T. Jenness, in his book titled: Bucket Brigade to Flying Squadron: Fire Fighting Past and Present, St. Joseph first had a “hanging single harness” in 1871.7 So this lends credence to their fire pole coming about in 1871 at the time of their first quick response harness.
Chicago Fire Department
Probably the most prolific references to the invention of the fire pole were found via internet searches and are related to articles by the Smithsonian Magazine, the Chicago Fire Museum, and a 2019 published book. These references identify the idea and installation of the first fire pole to have been conceived in the Chicago (IL) Fire Department. The story credits Fire Captain David Kenyon of Engine Company 21 as the inventor of the wood fire pole in 1878. Chicago Company 21 has other historical significance in that it was the first African-American firehouse in Chicago.8 Though Kenyon is given credit, the further story says that the African American firefighter George Reed (some references give the name as Reid) was the first to use a pole to slide down. The story goes that Capt. Kenyon and FF Reed were stacking hay (for the horses) on the third floor when there was a fire call. There was a long diagonal wooden pole that was either a hay binding pole or was used to hoist hay bales up to the loft for storage, “when an alarm was received, everyone took the stairs except Firefighter Reed who slid the pole.”9 FF Reed handily beat everyone down to the main floor. Despite being the first to slide the pole, numerous website references still give credit to Kenyon since he was the one who asked permission to cut a hole in the firehouse floor and install a pole agreeing to pay for the repairs if it didn’t work out. Suffice it to say, there are some conflicting versions of this account, as well as inaccuracies. The fire pole “was originally made of 4 X 4 inch Georgia pine, the corners were cut off and sanded round to 3 inches. Shellac was applied with paraffin added to make it slippery.”10 Though ridiculed at first, because of the continuing quick turn-out of Engine Company 21 the fire pole was soon adopted in other firehouses and referenced in the Chicago Fire Department’s annual report of April 1878.11
Louisville Fire Department
Information from an older publication indicates Louisville (KY) Fire Department may have been first with a fire pole. In the Popular Science Monthly, Sept. 1895, “Apparatus for Extinguishing Fires” by John G. Morse, he says “The sliding pole, by which firemen facilitate their descent from the second story of the engine house, was invented by Captain B.F. Bache, of the Louisville Fire Department.”12 Louisville history relates the story concerning B. F. Bache and members of his company (around 1858). The legend says: “they were on the second floor of an engine house when an alarm sounded. Since a pole had been left standing in the middle of the stairwell, they took the fastest route down, which eventually led to the national practice of firemen sliding down poles.”13
The pole referred to in the legend must have been either a hay binding pole or hoist pole (see Some Additional Historical Perspective section), Though the Popular Science articles identify Louisville F.D. as first with a fire pole, this story is similar to the Chicago story about how the first pole slide occurred, and there is no further documentation. Based on the legend the story supposedly predates the Chicago story by 20 years, and St. Joseph by 13 years. However, even the Louisville history site notes that the story may not be credible. Again we are left with a poorly documented oral fire service history.
New York, Boston, and Worchester Fire Departments
Other articles and reference sources have also attributed the first fire pole to being originated in New York, Boston, or Worchester. One article said that “the first firehouse pole was installed in New York in April of 1878.”14 Oddly this is the same year as Chicago claimed their first pole. Though the fact was attributed to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), I could not trace back to the specific reference attributed to NFPA.
Boston Fire Department was said to install their first pole in Engine 4’s station on Bullfinch Street in 1880. Also, articles say they supposedly installed the first brass fire pole in around 1880.15 So in Boston’s case was it the first brass pole they were claiming? The year 1880 is certainly after the other known claims for the first wooden poles.
And finally (maybe), there is a statement on the City of Worchester, MA, website regarding the history of the Worchester Fire Department. It says: “In 1880, the first brass sliding pole used in the country was installed in Worcester.”16 A vintage article from Fire and Water Engineering (that would become Fire Engineering) published in 1914 on “The Fire Station Sliding Pole”, related that the Underwriters Salvage Corps of Worchester had a wooden pole before 1880. How far back then that is not identified. The article goes on to say that the first metal sliding pole was devised “by Captain Charles Allen of Engine Company No. 1, Worchester, Mass., and was first used by Chief S.E. Combs of that department, June 14, 1880.”17 However, the article says that the station didn’t have room for a full pole to the apparatus floor, and a hanging half pole was installed so the horses could pass under it. The firefighters slide the pole down to the top of the apparatus? Further details in the article say many prominent chiefs visited to see the pole, one of them being Superintendent Samuel Abbott of Boston who had a pole installed in Station 1, Hamilton Street, Boston May 25, 1881. So what about Boston’s Engine 4s pole in 1880 (see the previous paragraph)?
Some Additional Historical Perspective
A note about fire poles and hay binding poles. Some of the accounts for Chicago and Louisville talk about hay binding poles being first used for sliding. Hay baling machines (producing compact hay bales) were not invented until the late 1800s, and may not have been available in all locations. Before hay bales, hay was stacked on hay wagons using binding poles to help hold the loose hay together for transport and hoisting for storage. So whether the poles were binding poles to hold the hay together or were there to haul hay bales upstairs to the loft or attic for storage, or to slide hay downstairs to the fire apparatus floor to feed the horses, is another debatable point in the history of the fire pole. Later built fire stations had chutes from the attic/hayloft to drop hay near the horse stalls on the fire apparatus floor.
Though who was first may be hard to document, it does appear that the first fire poles were made of wood. Even though they were well sanded and sealed with shellac, and then coated with paraffin to make them slippery, they were subject to wear and could develop splinters thus causing injuries. Perhaps because of this, the brass fire pole was soon implemented replacing the wood poles within many years.
As is typical in many aspects of fire service history, there is probably no definitive answer to who was first. I suspect that the fire pole, like the fire service hanging quick hitch harness, may have been independently developed in various departments in the United States at about the same time. Who had the first fire pole is one of those bragging rights that will continue to be debated in the fire service for many years to come.
Sliding a Fire Pole
In a review of various fire service resources and discussions with firefighters, it appears there are numerous methods or techniques to safely slide down a fire pole. I did not find much of a consensus regarding the various methods, and it was found that techniques have changed over time. Dr. Carl Schulte, Surgeon Detroit Fire Department in writing about issues with fire poles way back in 1929, said that “it has been found that the greater majority of the men are employing one of two universally used methods in all of their slides.“18 The two methods he described are as follows:
Sliding the pole by the arm method simply means embracing the pole with the hand over the opposite elbow and with the arm and forearm serving as the brake. Sliding by the leg method means that one leg is wrapped around the pole in front and the other in the back and that the braking is done with the thighs and legs so embracing the pole. Either method is entirely correct and either method will bring him safely down.19
Dr, Schulte goes on to mention that failure to properly brake using either method can cause accidents. He also mentioned the hazard of a fast pole versus a slow pole. The characteristics of a pole change based on maintenance (cleaning), atmospheric conditions, and the pole’s use throughout the day, as to how fast one will slide. More modern procedures describe a method that uses a combination of these techniques along with a modified hand grip. It should be understood that this article does not provide the necessary knowledge and practical training to teach one how to safely slide a fire pole nor should it be substituted for your department’s standard operating procedures or guidelines regarding fire poles. Firefighters should be properly instructed in the techniques used by their department under the direction of an experienced and qualified fire service instructor.
The Fire Pole in Use
To reduce injuries and accidents related to fire poles and to ensure a safe environment within the fire station, new improvements or additions to fire poles have been added over time. The installation of fire poles, or retrofit of existing poles, includes railings or closets around the entry opening and weight-activated doors to prevent accidental falls. Cushions have been placed at the base of poles to help with soft landings (though some debate the effectiveness of their use). Pole safety landing mats should be inspected and replaced as needed to ensure maximum performance. Also, shutters along with exhaust control systems are used to prevent exhaust fumes from the apparatus bay from reaching the upstairs living quarters area through the hole.
Regarding the use of fire poles in modern fire station design, Jennifer Bettiol, of BDW Architects, quoted in a Firehouse Magazine article said “poles can reduce response times from an upper level by 50 percent or more, …but safety features need to be included on both levels to prevent falls and hard landings.“20
High-quality modern brass poles are made out of tubular brass and fitted with bronze castings. Arthur Anthony of McIntire Brass, Inc., a major manufacturer of slide pole systems, related that fire poles vary in diameter and size depending on fire station design and needs. Before the 1950s there were 2-inch diameter poles available. Today, poles generally range in diameter from 2 ½ inches to 3 ½ inches maximum, with the 3-inch diameter pole being most common. The average pole is about 20 feet in length. Anthony recommends that poles should not provide for a slide of more than two floors. Slide pole systems include various components such as chrome-plated brass stanchions, stainless steel safety cages, shutters, and safety landing mats. These items can also be retrofitted to older poles.21
McIntire Brass’ website recommends that: “the poles be polished on a regular schedule to eliminate pole drag and have found that Noxon®, Brasso® or Wicked® does an excellent job. However, a pole taken out of service may now be black. At this point, you will need a professional with polishing jacks to restore the pole.”22 McIntire also provides refurbishment services.
I am sure some more experienced (older) firefighters who served at fire departments with fire poles can relate stories regarding pole maintenance. Retired Fire Chief George Albert, related that back in the day when he was a new firefighter with St. Joseph Fire Department rookies were required to polish the headquarters station’s brass fire poles every Saturday morning.
Despite changes and the addition of safety devices, fire poles and their use do have some inherent risks due to human factors. Several articles were coming out in the 90s and early 2000s about pole-related injuries and a call for discontinuing their use.23 Michelle O’Donnell for The New York Times wrote in 2005 about the change from using fire poles and its effect on firefighters. She related that firefighters shared stories of pole-related injuries. Despite this, “veterans didn’t welcome the transition to stairs.”24 In watching firefighters slide poles to answer an alarm, she eloquently described the exciting event she witnessed:
Suddenly, the alarm wails, and, like a merry band summoned by a whistle in a forest, firefighters rain from the ceiling. They shoot down in rapid succession, full of bounce and grace. All the signature styles of descent whisk by: not only the ankle cross and the two-hand hold but the one-arm hook and the straight-legged-one-arm-hook combo. It’s over in about 10 seconds, and a visitor who did not think to look up could miss it without ever knowing.25
Changes and the Future of Fire Poles
The architectural design of firehouses begin to change with the coming of modernized (motorized) apparatus. Less space was needed on the ground floor due to the absence of horses and their gear, along with less space needed to maneuverer the motorized apparatus verse the horse-drawn equipment. By the late 1940s, the “Bungalow-type” fire station design was becoming prominent. In this architectural style, “all the rooms were on the one level, with the apparatus floor to one side and a living area next to it.”26 As a one-story firehouse, no pole was needed.
In the 1990s even some multi-story configured fire stations began moving away from poles because of safety concerns over the potential for injuries. Although, with some decrease in using poles and the resulting increase in stair usage for an emergency response to the fire apparatus floor, stair-related injuries appear to be on the rise.
Are fire poles coming back? In a telephone interview with Mr. Arthur Anthony, Vice President of McIntire Brass Works, Inc., he related that McIntire Brass is the largest provider of slide fire pole systems to the fire service worldwide. The company has manufactured and sold fire poles to the fire service for over a hundred years. He said that both new pole sales and retrofits of old poles are on the rise in recent years.27 The move to Bungalow type fire stations in the past has shifted back to multi-story stations in recent years. Intercity land values and space needs have again driven the architectural design of the firehouse, and the supporting interior features that enable the ability to maintain a quick response to emergency calls.
Across America, there are firehouses both new and old that have maintained the tradition of the fire pole as part of their quick response procedures. Many old firehouses that have been converted into fire museums have maintained the presence of the iconic fire pole and proudly demonstrate it for visitors. This traditional feature helps illustrate the history of the fire service and the inter-related aspects of technological changes that have occurred over time. Through fire service traditions, movies, television shows, and fire museum displays, the fire pole continues to hold a cherished place in past and current generations’ memories of heroic firefighters and their quick response to fulfill their mission of saving lives and property.
Authors Comments
The author wishes to thank the various fire departments and fire service organizations for their assistance in the development of this article. Specifically, I wish to thank: the St. Joseph Fire Dept.; St. Joseph Fire Museum; Fire Chief (ret.) George Albert for his assistance and research; Capt. Steve Holtmeier and the Jefferson City Fire Museum; Arthur Anthony, Vice President – McIntire Brass Works, Inc.; Fire Chief (ret.) Rick Lasky, Lewisville, Texas Fire Department and author of Pride and Ownership: A Firefighter’s Love of the Job for his inspiration; Chief (ret.) Bill Westhoff former MU FRTI Director and author of “History’s Corner” in the FFAM Magazine for establishing the tradition; and the MU Fire and Rescue Training Institute.
Endnotes
1 Ralph W. Burklin, and Robert G. Purington, National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) book on Fire Terms, A Guide To Their Meaning and Use, NFPA, Boston, MA, 1980, p. 140 & 168.
2 Jennifer L. Reed, Editor, Illustrated Dictionary of Fire Service Terms, NFPA, Jones and Bartlett Publications, Sudbury, MA, 2006.
3 Gerry & Janet Souter, The American Fire Station, MBI Publishing Co., Osceola, WI, 1998, p.61.
4 Rebecca Zurier, The American Firehouse, an Architectural and Social History, Abbeville Press, NY, 1982, p.101.
5 Gabe Angemi, “Fire Poles in American Fire Stations”, Camdens Rescue 1, Lower Merion Professional Firefighters Association IAFF Local 2844, Facebook page, blog post, November 9, 2013, https://www.facebook.com/IAFF2844/posts/camdens-rescue-1-gabe-angemi-shares-this-cool-storyfire-poles-in-american-fire-s/489837384448155/.
6 “Timely Observations”, St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, January 16, 1962, St, Joseph Fire Museum archive, through research provided by George Albert.
7 Herbert Theodore Jenness, Bucket Brigade to Flying Squadron: Fire Fighting Past and Present, Cambridge, Mass, 1909, p.57.
8 Alex Potter, “How a Black Fireman Brought a Pole Into the Firehouse”, Smithsonian Magazine, copyright 2021, web article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/invention-firemans-pole-180975206/).
9 DeKalb Walcott, Jr., Black Heroes of Fire, The History of the First African-American Fire Company in Chicago, Black Heroes of Fire Publishing Company, Chicago, IL, 2019, p. 39.
10 Ibid, p. 39.
11 Ibid.
12 John G. Morse, “Apparatus for Extinguishing Fires”, Popular Science Monthly, Volume 47, September 1895, p. 618. Web copy via Wikisource: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Popular_Science_Monthly/Volume_47/September_1895/The_Development_of_American_Industries_Since_Columbus:_Fire_Fighting_II.
13 “LFD History – Full Text”, Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government, Kentucky, copyright 2003-2021, website article: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/fire/lfd-history-full-text,
14 Jamie Page Deaton, How Stuff Works, “Do Fire Poles Really Save Time”, December 18, 2012, web article: https://people.howstuffworks.com/fire-poles-save-time.htm.
15 “Engine Co. 4 (Fire Companies)”, Boston Fire Historical Society, Official Website, copyrighted 2021, https://bostonfirehistory.org/fire-companies/engine-co-fire-companies/engine-co-4-fire-companies/.
16 “History of the WFD”, City of Worcester, MA, Website copyright 2021, web article: http://www.worcesterma.gov/fire/about-us/history.
17 “The Fire Station Sliding Pole”, Fire and Water Engineering (predecessor publication to Fire Engineering), Volume 55, Issue 18, May 6, 1914, web archive article: https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/the-fire-station-sliding-pole/#gref.
18 Carl H. Schulte, Dr., “The Menace of the Sliding Pole”, Fire Engineering. Oct. 16, 1929, web article: https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/the-menace-of-the-sliding-pole/#gref.
19 Ibid.
20 Peter Matthews, “Station Design: Integrating NFPA Standards into Your Fire Station”, Firehouse Magazine, June 26, 2018, web article: https://www.firehouse.com/stations/architects/news/21011092/station-design-integrating-nfpa-standards-into-your-fire-station.
21 Arthur Anthony, Vice President – McIntire Brass Works, Inc., Summerville, MA, Telephone Interview with author, Nov. 15, 2021.
22 McIntire Brass Works, Inc. Website, Frequently Asked Questions – “What do I do if I have an old pole that needs to be polished?”, https://www.slidepole.com/slidepole-models.htm.
23 Kat Eschner, “Fire Poles Saved Time, But They Also Injured Firefighters”, Smithsonian Magazine, April 21, 2017, from internet article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fire-poles-saved-time-they-also-injured-firefighters-180962923/.
24 Ibid.
25 Ibid.
26 Rebecca Zurier, The American Firehouse, an Architectural and Social History, p.157.
27 Arthur Anthony, Vice President – McIntire Brass Works, Inc., Summerville, MA, Telephone Interview with author, Nov. 15, 2021.
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