# Firepoles **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138 "2003-08-14T14:42:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/1 "2003-08-14T14:42:58Z")
I can’t find the answer by searching here, and google was no help. What is the purpose of firepoles? You still need steps to go up, why aren’t they good enough to go down? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/2 "2003-08-14T14:52:00Z")
You get down faster, and usually right into the truck bay, when using the pole. Remember, these guys are in a _hurry_. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/3 "2003-08-14T15:05:33Z")
There can be someone ascending a set of stairs and you might collide with them as you hurry down. Under normal circumstances, there won’t be anyone ascending the fire pole. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/4 "2003-08-14T15:28:29Z")
Also fire polls are really fun. It’s a job perk. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/5 "2003-08-14T15:31:50Z")
Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/6 "2003-08-14T15:33:11Z")
Oh and I messed it up; the first one is Hugh. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/7 "2003-08-14T15:35:54Z")
Two good points. From a speed aspect, I would think that a set of stairs right in the garage would give you higher overall throughput of firemen to garage. You wouldn’t have to wait for the first guy to get out of the way. Not sure what to think about the bumping aspect, it doesn’t seem important enough to warrant building a whole firepole thing… ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/8 "2003-08-14T15:37:25Z")
Mangetout… I have NO idea what that means! I can hear the whooshes, they’re pretty loud now ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/9 "2003-08-14T16:00:50Z")
they are the names of the firemen in the cult animated childrens programme _Trumpton_; as they descended the pole, the fire chief would call out their names in order (and apparently it was 2xPugh after all - they were twins! :smack:). More details here: [http://www.toonhound.com/trumpton.htm](http://www.toonhound.com/trumpton.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/10 "2003-08-14T16:10:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cheesesteak \* > \*\*Two good points. From a speed aspect, I would think that a set of stairs right in the garage would give you higher overall throughput of firemen to garage. You wouldn’t have to wait for the first guy to get out of the way. > > Not sure what to think about the bumping aspect, it doesn’t seem important enough to warrant building a whole firepole thing… \*\* But building (or designing in) a separate staircase into the garage is surely _more_ effort - a firepole is just a metal pole and a hole in the floor. AFAIK, there is no waiting for the guy at the bottom to move out of the way; you slide down, then clear the pole FAST. It has to be quicker than taking 13 steps down a staircase. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/11 "2003-08-14T16:17:11Z")
Better question WHERE can I buy one? Seriously, I have looked on the net and can’t find one anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/12 "2003-08-14T17:12:22Z")
As to why we use them, they’re faster and safer than stairs. There are injuries from falls through the pole hole (and one death in Boston about 6 or 7 years ago), but the number of twisted ankles and falls down stairs are supposedly much higher for stairs than poles. - Poles also take up less room (a 5’ x 5’ area versus the length and height of a stairwell) - You can have poles from many places upstairs to downstairs, a fire station in Fall River, MA has something like 10 poles - having that many stairs would be insane. - Higher throughput of firefighters down a pole than down stairs - it only takes me 4 seconds to slide the pole and clear the landing pad, takes me 15 to 20 seconds on stairs for the same height. As for where to get them, here’s the place: McIntire Brass Works Inc 16 Horace Street, Somerville, MA 02143 (617) 547-1819 - Just a brass pole will run you about $3000 (not sure if it comes with the mounting flanges or not) - A manual pole system, with the weight activated/spring loaded tri-fold clamshell door and upstairs guardrail is about $17,000 - An electrical pole system, with a photoelectric activated, power operated bifold hole door and upstairs guardrail is around $24,000. At least those are what I remember the prices being at the conference last June. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/13 "2003-08-14T17:24:07Z")
Cool! As an extra credit question… anybody know when they were invented? ---
**Author:** ![DiLLiGaF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@DiLLiGaF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiLLiGaF)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/14 "2003-08-14T18:14:07Z")
I had seen a show that I am thinking was on the history channel about firehouses and they talked about the reasons for the poles. I think they had circular staircases going up so that their horses woudn’t go upstairs in the firehouse and they had the poles because it was much faster than the circular stairs. Am I way off here? I don’t remember the specifics, but I saw it someplace… ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/15 "2003-08-14T18:38:22Z")
Sounds like a UL to me. Why would the horses go upstairs? And if they were really worried about it, why not just tie up the horse? ---
**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/16 "2003-08-14T19:06:01Z")
I visited a firestation recently with my sons cub scout pack, I assume this one was typical of most fire stations. The second floor of a fire station is very high so it would be more like going down 1 1/2 or two flights of steps so the time savings would be even greater. The first floor has to be high enough for tall fire trucks. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/17 "2003-08-14T19:52:28Z")
Alot of early buildings were often just equipped with ‘lofts’ for sleeping, meaning getting into bed required a ladder propped next to a loft. - Easy to imagine why a pole would be a great option there. Just picture the types of barns, garages, sheds and such that took on firehouse duty. ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/18 "2003-08-14T20:10:10Z")
Alojzy, Wladyslaw, Wojciech, Stanislaw and Joachim? ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/19 "2003-08-15T01:06:33Z")
Supposedly, the first pole was installed at Engine 21 in Chicago in 1878, and it was made out of wood. The first brass pole was in Boston at Engine 8 in 1880. Regarding the turing stairways, I’ve heard the same thing. In all of the stations I’ve been in that had horses once upon a time, the stairs do all turn. They’re not circular, the just go up 4 or 6 steps, turn 90 degrees, up for or 6 more, turn 90 degrees again, etc. The legend is that the horses wanted to be with the firefighters, so they would try to climb the stairs. Having never been around horses combined with not being a firefighter in the late 1800s, I can’t confirm or deny the legend, but the stairs do turn. As for why you don’t tie the horse up, the horses would come out of their pens when the bells went off and stand in front of the engines. Their harnesses would drop from the ceiling, and away you’d go. I personally like pushing the “battery”,“ignition”, and “start” buttons a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firepoles/195138/20 "2003-08-15T01:11:52Z")
I sit corrected, it was Engine 4 in Boston, not Engine 8. My bad. For other fire related history and trivia, try this (there’s a complete history of the pole here, too): [http://www.petelamb.com/oldhist.htm](http://www.petelamb.com/oldhist.htm)