Why do firehouses have brass poles and how many stations in Norwalk have them?
Fire stations have brass poles to cut down on the amount of time it takes to get on the fire truck from the second floor. It is about ten times faster to “slide the pole” than to take conventional stairs. This advantage is not without its draw backs however. The major drawback is safety; the pole can be very dangerous. The fire pole is essentially a hole in the floor with a pipe in it to grab as you fall. If you grip the pole improperly or not tight enough your descent can be rather rapid. (32 feet per second) The rapid descent it not really the problem, it’s that sudden stop at the bottom.
