When a handful of Durham firefighters slid down a firehouse pole for a social media video, they had no idea they be doing so to pop and Disney tunes — or that they’d become viral sensations.

The Durham Fire Department recently posted a slow-motion video of its Ninth Street Fire Station 2 personnel sliding down a pole, participating in a social media trend where the subjects don’t know what “walk-up song” will be added to their clip. The mastermind behind the post, Patrick Brickman, the department’s public affairs analyst, kept the musical choices a secret from the crew until the video was published.

The caption reads, “Having the members of Station 2 go down the pole… but choosing the songs ourselves. Which firefighter was your favorite?”

Since Friday, the video has amassed over 1 million views between Facebook and Instagram. About two-thirds of those views came from Instagram alone, Brickman said.

The video’s impact

Viewers quickly began picking their favorite firefighters, with Captain Tony Mangum and a fighterfighter named Koonce getting the most attention. Mangum slid down the pole to a snippet of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten,” while Koonce slid to a cover of P!nk’s hit “Get This Party Started.”

“They might not trust me anymore,” Brickman laughed. “I didn’t tell them what was happening when they showed up.”

Brickman said he found himself playing comment moderator to prevent some overeager fans from crossing the line.

While the video serves as a lighthearted distraction, there is also a strategic purpose behind the viral hit: attracting the next generation of first responders.

Fire recruitment efforts

The video’s starts represent just a fraction of the city’s fire department, which currently has over 400 firefighters across 19 stations. More than 65% of the department’s calls are for Emergency Medical Services, and there are over 350 emergency medical technicians, according to the city.

In recent years, the department has struggled to retain personnel. In 2023, the department reported losing 17 members within the first few months of that year, citing salary freezes. While the city provided a one-time pay increase, the regular 5% annual raises that were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic have not been reinstated.

The department has also dealt with staffing shortages in the past, resulting in dispatch delays. In 2024, the city and the fire department reached a settlement with the Department of Justice over a hiring process that disqualified Black candidates at a disproportionate rate.

The starting salary for the department is $46,018 a year.

The video put a smile on viewers’ faces over the weekend and puts the Durham Fire Department on the map for prospective recruits looking for a welcoming, team-oriented workplace, Brickman said.

“Our social media and recruitment efforts are pretty much always married,” Brickman said, noting that he works closely with the department’s recruiter, Tim McCoy. “We want young people to apply and come work here, and social media is a way to get that attention.”

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