In Case of Fire, They’ll Use the Stairs

The brass poles dear to Fire Department lore and nostalgia may go out of use for a while in Los Angeles because of possible health hazards from diesel fumes that rise into upstairs dormitories, the Los Angeles City Fire Commission was told. When diesel equipment starts up--in any of the 27 stations that still have a second floor--a department report said, fumes are wafted through the pole holes into the upstairs dormitory and living area, where they cause illness among firefighters. The problem has been growing, the report said, ever since the department began converting from gasoline to diesel equipment. As a result, the holes will be closed for a while, pending construction of trap doors or other enclosures to keep the fumes downstairs. The report said that using the stairs instead of sliding down the poles could add 10 to 15 seconds to alarm response times.