Pennsylvania Fire Poles Survive Thanks to Land Values, Tradition, Efficiency

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Though some have long predicted its demise along with horse-drawn fire trucks and male-only crews, the tradition-laden fire pole that has provided quick exits for firefighters for over 120 years is still being added to fire houses.

Fewer stations today have the shiny brass or steel poles for exit than they did 40 years ago. But there has been renewed interest in them thanks to technological improvements and rising land values that have forced fire companies to build up and not out.

''It wasn't something where we had to discuss whether to put a pole in,'' said Steve Darcangelo, fire chief in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mount Lebanon where they recently installed a second pole in the 2-year-old station. ''It was a natural with a multistory facility.''

Because of property values in the posh suburb, where the average home sells for more than double the state average, finding more than 1