Slide Pole Injury Statistics

[scottishff]

Hello all -
I have currently been placed on the new station design committee and have been given the task of locating Injury Statistics for Slide Poles. If anyone can post links or information that would help me greatly in getting a pole put into our new station! Thanks again.

[phireac]

Too many back injuries, new poles are a thing of the past in my state. Contact your state labor and industries for stats. Good Luck.

[FFFRED]

scottishff--

I did a similar study for my former dept about 2 years ago. I can give you some advice and info that might be helpful to you. With proper precautions they are a safe means of improving service delivery in multi-story firehouses. I examined the issue for an entire year contacting and visiting many different depts accross the country. Email me from my profile page and I 'll see what I can do for you.

FTM-PTB

[len1582]

They started taking them out in my dept several years ago.Not because we had a few guys fall down them(one was a rookie on his first day in the firehouse,broken ankle),but because there wasn't a good seal and diesel fumes were getting into the bunkrooms of about a dozen firehouses for several years.

[NJFFSA16]

AP-WA--Fire Pole
Oops! Firefighter falls down hole at station
(Seattle-AP) -- A Seattle firefighter was seriously injured when
he fell down the fire pole hole at his station.
Fire Department spokeswoman Helen Fitzpatrick says the accident
happened about three this morning at Station 33 in south Seattle
(at 9645 Renton Avenue South).
The firefighter was not responding to an alarm at the time, and
the circumstances remain under investigation.
Fitzpatrick says he fell 16 to 20 feet and was taken to
Harborview Medical Center in serious condition.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

APTV 12-23-03 1539EST

[FFFRED]

NJFFSA16-

If you see any follow up to this story please post it.

As this article doesn't discuss the full circumstances and if all possible modern safety measures were taken. Based on my year long exaimination of the issue, it is highly likely there wasn't the proper fall protection or lighting as in most of the fall cases I noted from other depts across the country.

FTM-PTB

[eastendldrco]

i am just east of the city of pittsburgh and we have five slide poles in our boro (1) #1, (2) #4, (2) #5. I have been with my department for 11 years and we have had only 3 loss time injuries due to the pole. All injuries have been when going in service for calls. only two of these incidents have been serious enough for surgery (knee injury & ankle injury). there have been no injuries during non-emergency situations. At my company we require that the probie ff get "checked out" and demonstrate proper use of the slide pole. They are shown by the members multiple times on different ways / style to properly use it. The senior member then lets the probies assisgned officer know how we feel. We will not check anyone off that we do not feel comfortable with. We do allow our memebers to use the slide pole for everyday non emergent use ie: going from 3rd floor to first floor. I feel if ouy train the member properly and make them understand that they do not have to use it if the do not feel comfortable then it should be ok.

Just my 2 cents

east end truckin' co

[whatup530]

Most injuries are caused by firefighters being stupid. In all my career we have never had an injury because the Lieutenants were doing their job and not allowing horse play on or around the pole.