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158:' living quarters are located upstairs. When they are dispatched to an emergency, the firefighters descend to the ground floor, put on their firefighting gear, and board the fire engine as quickly as possible. The pole may run through a hole in the floor, or it may be accessed from a balcony. To use a pole, a firefighter grasps it with their hands, then clamps their legs around it, and then replaces their tight hand grip with a looser hand or arm grip to allow themselves to descend, using their legs to control the speed. This is somewhat similar to the technique used for
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However, due to the strong tradition, time advantages and new safety features, poles are common worldwide even in newly built stations. Slide poles can be made safer. Cushions can be placed around the base of the pole to soften landings. Exhaust control systems can stop fumes from rising upstairs. To
215:' horses. During transport, the hay was secured to a wagon using a wooden binding pole, which was stored in the hayloft when not in use. Firefighter George Reid slid down the pole to respond to a call for help once, which inspired Kenyon to create a permanent pole.
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In the 1870s, answering an alarm, Chicago fireman George Reid decided to use the long-pole the company employed to lift horse's hay from the upper-loft to slide to the ground floor, arriving well ahead of the rest of the company. Company
Captain David Kenyon of
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Despite being the butt of many jokes, others soon realized
Company 21 was usually the first company to arrive when called, especially at night, and the chief of the department ordered the poles to be installed in all Chicago fire stations. In 1880 the first
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has already removed most of them. In the United
Kingdom, more modern fire stations are built with one storey negating the need for a pole and they are sometimes removed from old stations that no longer require the upper floors for operational purposes.
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Losing one's grip on the pole can result in falling from a great height; the firefighter may hit an object such as a door extending from a truck; poor speed control can result in injured or even broken legs upon impact with the floor; and
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if the skin rubs against the pole. If the pole runs through an unprotected hole in the floor, there is a risk of a person falling through it, as well as exhaust fumes rising into the living quarters.
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For these reasons, fire stations built since the 1970s are often built with the living quarters downstairs, and some older fire stations have had their poles removed. In the United States, the
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were once common, but not particularly fast. Fire houses were also equipped with spiral staircases so horses would not try to climb the stairs into the living quarters.
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prevent accidental falls, the pole can be guarded by railings, baskets, a door or a weight-activated trapdoor that opens only when weight is applied to the pole.
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then successfully petitioned the department be allowed to install a pole through the floor of the loft sleeping space to create what became the standard set-up.
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In 1878 Kenyon convinced his chief to make the necessary hole in the building and install the pole, after agreeing to pay for any necessary
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313:"In response to White Chicagoans mocking the first Black fire crew in 1872, they wanted to prove themselves as good, if not better"
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beam by shaving and sanding it into a 3-inch (7.6 cm) diameter pole which they gave several coats of
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510:"The legacy of the fire station pole: relics being phased outnationwide due to health and safety"
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has called for the removal of all poles from US fire stations due to safety hazards. The
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worked in a three-story fire station. The ground floor contained the
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The firefighter's pole is found in multi-level fire stations, if the
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463:"Fire poles survive thanks to land values, tradition, efficiency"
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Vancouver firemen using firepoles to leave their dormitory, 1910
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378:"April 21, 1878: Thinking Fast, Firefighter Slides Down a Pole"
437:"What's a fire station without a fire pole? $ 150,000 cheaper"
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Pole that firefighters slide down to reach ground level
486:"Sorry, Kids. Fire Stations Are Ditching Fire Poles"
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56:slide down to quickly reach the ground floor of a
266:A firepole in Cologne with a door at the entry
230:. The company crafted a pole out of a Georgia
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1308:Wildfire suppression equipment and personnel
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122:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
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1140:International Association of Fire Fighters
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142:Learn how and when to remove this message
203:and sleeping, and the top floor was the
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191:David B. Kenyon of Chicago's all-black
7:
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1298:Modular Airborne FireFighting System
371:
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284:National Fire Protection Association
120:adding citations to reliable sources
60:. This allows them to respond to an
539:"Fire Station says goodbye to pole"
311:Grossman, Ron (February 24, 2022).
946:Self-contained breathing apparatus
646:Firefighter assist and search team
537:Fish, Elizabeth (April 20, 2011).
484:Newcomb, Tim (December 23, 2010).
25:The firepole in a fire station in
14:
435:Castro, Hector (April 24, 2008).
1508:
1496:
1484:
1472:
1461:
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671:Fire department ranks by country
92:
68:faster than by using a standard
1509:
1145:International Firefighters' Day
1105:Candidate Physical Ability Test
338:"Fire Houses and Fire Fighting"
656:Special operations firefighter
207:to store the winter supply of
64:faster, as they arrive at the
1:
1195:Wildfire emergency management
762:Hazardous materials apparatus
1170:World Police and Fire Games
1125:Fire protection engineering
288:fire service in New Zealand
1558:
1418:Glossary of wildfire terms
1150:List of firefighting films
598:Personnel and organization
441:Seattle Post-Intelligencer
250:pole was installed in the
199:, the floor above was for
1456:
1130:Geography of firefighting
661:Volunteer fire department
252:Worcester Fire Department
1448:Template:Fire protection
1165:World Firefighters Games
1059:Gaseous fire suppression
1135:History of firefighting
222:Captain David B. Kenyon
1537:Firefighting equipment
1273:Firefighting apparatus
961:Thermal imaging camera
941:Secure information box
757:Firefighting apparatus
515:The New Zealand Herald
465:. The Associated Press
267:
223:
197:firefighting equipment
175:
33:
1318:Wildland water tender
900:Hydraulic rescue tool
666:Women in firefighting
498:on December 25, 2010.
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221:
193:Engine Company No. 21
173:
24:
1359:Wildland fire module
1313:Wildland fire engine
1200:Wildfire suppression
737:Fire command vehicle
732:Airport crash tender
631:Retained firefighter
412:"History of the WFD"
352:Black Heroes of Fire
116:improve this section
1542:American inventions
1218:Aerial firefighting
1074:Stop, drop and roll
1064:Multiple-alarm fire
931:Portable water tank
840:Fire proximity suit
1258:Fire retardant gel
1243:Fire lookout tower
916:New York roof hook
767:Light and air unit
704:Fire lookout tower
611:Chief fire officer
268:
224:
176:
42:firefighter's pole
34:
1524:
1523:
1431:
1430:
1423:List of wildfires
1283:Helicopter bucket
1278:Firefighting foam
880:Hard suction hose
825:Fire extinguisher
815:Fire brigade keys
275:can occur due to
179:Spiral staircases
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78:Engine Company 21
52:) is a pole that
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1120:Fire photography
902:("Jaws of life")
860:Fireman's switch
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494:. Archived from
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1115:Fire engine red
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1084:Two-in, two-out
1039:Fireman's carry
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865:Flame retardant
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692:Fire department
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376:Alfred, Randy.
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40:(also called a
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62:emergency call
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1443:Template:Fire
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1098:Miscellaneous
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1034:Fire triangle
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518:. May 4, 2018
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417:September 18,
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258:Safety issues
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132:November 2020
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101:This section
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47:
43:
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28:
23:
19:
1514:
1502:
1490:
1478:
1466:
1375:Ancient Rome
1349:Hotshot crew
1334:Fire lookout
1233:Fire flapper
1024:Fire control
989:Chimney fire
875:Halligan bar
854:
850:Fire shelter
835:Fire hydrant
810:Fire blanket
805:Escape chair
782:Water tender
709:Fire station
636:Fire marshal
616:Fire captain
590:Firefighting
548:December 19,
546:. Retrieved
542:
532:
520:. Retrieved
513:
504:
496:the original
489:
479:
467:. Retrieved
440:
415:. Retrieved
405:
393:. Retrieved
381:
351:
346:
332:
322:February 24,
320:. Retrieved
316:
306:
293:
281:
269:
244:
225:
213:fire engines
187:
177:
156:firefighters
153:
138:
129:
114:Please help
102:
74:
58:fire station
54:firefighters
49:
46:sliding pole
45:
41:
37:
35:
18:
1368:By location
1354:Smokejumper
1211:and tactics
1089:Ventilation
1029:Fire safety
1014:False alarm
971:Terminology
921:PASS device
895:Hose bridge
885:Hazmat suit
820:Fire bucket
800:Bunker gear
742:Fire engine
687:Drill tower
641:Fire police
228:maintenance
181:or sliding
160:fast-roping
66:fire engine
1531:Categories
1400:Washington
1395:California
1263:Fire trail
1209:Equipment
1049:Flash fire
1019:Fire class
999:Deluge gun
936:Rotary saw
906:Kelly tool
870:Fog nozzle
714:Hose tower
680:Facilities
621:Fire chief
395:October 5,
360:B07M6ZG2XF
299:References
201:recreation
1380:Australia
1327:Personnel
1288:Hose pack
1268:Firebreak
1248:Fire rake
1238:Fire hose
1228:Driptorch
1180:Wildfires
1110:Fire camp
1054:Flashover
984:Barn fire
979:Backdraft
830:Fire hose
792:Equipment
724:Apparatus
390:1059-1028
103:does not
70:staircase
50:fire pole
1491:Glossary
1467:Category
1436:See also
1344:Helitack
1339:Handcrew
1069:Rollover
1044:Firewall
752:Fireboat
651:Handcrew
522:July 27,
277:friction
240:paraffin
211:for the
84:Overview
1515:Outline
1479:Commons
1390:History
1303:Pulaski
1188:General
926:The pig
469:June 3,
236:varnish
205:hayloft
189:Captain
166:History
124:removed
109:sources
31:Ontario
27:Toronto
1293:McLeod
1155:Muster
388:
358:
183:chutes
1503:Index
1411:Lists
1009:Draft
951:Siren
911:Nomex
772:Quint
382:Wired
273:burns
248:brass
48:or a
697:list
550:2022
524:2018
491:Time
471:2011
419:2020
397:2023
386:ISSN
356:ASIN
324:2022
232:pine
107:any
105:cite
209:hay
118:by
1533::
541:.
512:.
488:.
449:^
439:.
427:^
384:.
380:.
368:^
354:.
315:.
254:.
242:.
162:.
72:.
44:,
36:A
29:,
582:e
575:t
568:v
552:.
526:.
473:.
443:.
421:.
399:.
362:.
340:.
326:.
145:)
139:(
134:)
130:(
126:.
112:.
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