Sliding pole
A fireman's pole is in the fire brigade in fire stations installed to the alarm of upper floors quickly to the ground floor to the emergency vehicles to arrive. The umbrella term jump shaft system includes both the sliding pole as a central component and all safety devices (e.g. doors, impact mats).
history
A few slides were already in use in front of the sliding pole , otherwise spiral stairs . The sliding pole was invented by David B. Kenyon (1836–1884), captain of the 21st Guard in Chicago . His unit was the first completely black at the time . On April 21, 1878, the first sliding pole from the lounge on the 1st floor was installed in his station in the carriage hall below. It was made of wood, polished, oiled and had a diameter of three inches (= about 7.6 cm). To do this, a hole was simply cut in the ground. He got the idea from George Reid, one of his firefighters, who once slipped down a hay bar from the hayloft above the lounge. Kenyon also invented the automatic fire gate. Both together led to the fact that his men were always the first on the scene, which silenced the initially existing ridicule. As a result, all Chicago guards were given slide poles. Kenyon died on October 25, 1884 after a traffic accident while on duty on October 3. In 1880, the first brass slide poles were installed in Fire Station 1 in Worcester (Massachusetts) by Charles Allen and in Boston .
In the USA and other countries, however, the slide poles have since been abolished due to the risk of accidents or no longer built in new buildings, which is achieved by planning only single-storey stations.
In Vienna, the main fire station in Mariahilf was presumably given a pole during construction in 1914. Today there are no bars in operation in Vienna, the only one is now in the Fire Brigade Museum Am Hof.
Appearance
As a rule, it is a rod made of stainless steel or brass with a diameter of approx. 80 mm and a smooth surface. Usually a slide pole extends over a single floor, in some fire stations slide bars span several floors. For safety reasons, several poles are arranged over just one floor each. This means that a new pole has to be taken on each floor, but there is only ever one person on the pole, which eliminates the risk of a collision. It is also possible for several slide bars to be arranged next to one another in order to achieve a higher throughput . Slide poles are built into a slide shaft, access is secured against falling through wing doors. Since these doors remain open after using the slide, the rule applies that anyone passing by closes any open doors again. The shafts are mostly illuminated. A soft impact surface is attached around the foot of the sliding pole to ensure that it hits the ground safely.
use
The bar is enclosed with both hands and feet. The Fire Brigade Accident Fund of North Rhine-Westphalia recommends: “It is tricky to hold onto the pole with your hands. The rapid friction when sliding can cause burns. It's better to hang your forearm on the bar, where a jacket or shirt can protect the skin accordingly. ”The speed is controlled depending on the length of the limbs, gloves are not required. Instruction for sliding on the pole is mandatory to avoid endangering the person in front.
use
Slide poles are mainly installed in fire brigades, but sometimes also in multi-storey industrial plants, in order to enable the operating personnel to leave the plant quickly in the event of an alarm.
Smaller slide poles can also be part of a playground or used as sports equipment ( pole climbing ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ The History of the Fire Pole ( Memento from December 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), ABCO Fire protection (with photo of a slide).
- ↑ April 21, 1878: Thinking Fast, Firefighter Slides Down a Pole , Wired.
- ↑ Sliding Down the Fire Pole - The History of the Fire Pole , Fire-Dex.
- ↑ Capt David B Kenyon , Tombstone Search.
- ↑ April 21st in Science , Today in Science History (This incorrectly states New York, where Kenyon was born but never served.).
- ^ The Advent of the Fire Pole ( Memento from December 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), Mango Salute, Beth Hedrick.
- ↑ No sliding poles at Vienna Fire Brigade , orf.at, May 4, 2016, accessed May 4, 2016
- ↑ Using the sliding bar requires practice (PDF; 103 kB), FUK-NRW im Feuerwehrmann 5/2006.