Proudly serving those who serve

---

4 September 2026

Back to newsletter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Vintage: The history of fire poles

​Fire poles exist partly because horses kept wandering upstairs. In the 1800s, many fire stations housed their horse drawn equipment on the ground floor while firefighters slept and lived above. Horses occasionally tried to climb ordinary staircases, sometimes attracted by food or the firefighters themselves. Spiral staircases helped keep them downstairs, but created another problem: firefighters had to crowd down them whenever an alarm sounded. In 1878, firefighter George Reid of Chicago’s Engine Company 21 slid down a wooden pole used around the hayloft and reached the apparatus floor faster than everyone taking the stairs. Captain David Kenyon recognized the advantage and had a permanent pole installed. The fire pole was born.
 
Source: American Firefighters Community

---

Back to newsletter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​