Why Fireman Use Spiral Staircases
Firemen used spiral staircases up until the late 19th century when brass fireman's poles largely supplanted them. Both spiral staircases and firemen's poles are remnants from a period when fire fighters used steam-powered water pumpers that horses pulled to the scene of a fire. Spiral staircases can be found in older fire stations in the United States, but new firehouses tend to have only one level or straight staircases.
Other People Are Reading
-
19th Century Fire Fighting
-
Up until the mid-19th century, firemen fought fires with hand-powered water pumps. With the industrial revolution came the steam engine, and in 1853 engineers in Cincinnati, Ohio, demonstrated a steam-powered pumper. It proved to be faster and have more staying power than hand pumpers. The steam-powered fire engine was rapidly adopted. Because it was far too heavy to be pulled by hand, and as a mode of transportation, steam was too slow, a team of horses usually pulled the engine to fires.
Spiral Staircases at Fire Stations
-
In the 1800s, the horses lived at the firehouses, usually in a stable near the engine on the first floor. Firehouses were often multi-storied since at this time they were located in dense urban areas where living space was precious. The firemen generally lived on the second or third floor. Horses, tempted by the presence of the firemen, sometimes left their stables and climbed the stairs to the upper levels. To prevent this, fire stations installed spiral staircases, which were impossible for horses to navigate.
-
The Invention of the Fireman's Pole
-
Spiral staircases slowed down firemen, and in the 1870s, David Kenyon, a Chicago firefighter, came up with the idea of installing a pole leading from the upper levels to the ground floor. Firemen could slide down the pole to get to the engine much faster than climbing down the spiral staircases, improving response time. After the installation of the brass pole, Kenyon's firehouse team reached the scene of fires faster than other Chicago fire stations; as a result, the brass poles were put into all Chicago firehouses. In 1880 the Boston fire department adopted the fireman's pole, and firehouses all over the country followed.
Spiral Staircases Today
-
When gas-powered fire trucks displaced horse-drawn steamers, the need for a spiral staircase was obviated. Older fire stations in the United States still have spiral staircases.
Fireman's Pole Today
-
Not only are spiral staircases no longer needed, but also the fireman's pole has become more decorative than functional. Many newer firehouses, built when Americans were expanding from urban centers into suburbs, have only one story. Concern over safety has also helped make the fireman's pole little used in the United States today.
-
