Are new firehouses built with fireman's poles? And are fireman's poles really more efficient than stairs?

Fire poles.....I always wanted one when I was a kid. While they are a lot of fun are they really practical, that is a great question. And the answer is...it depends on the firehouse, some firehouses only have two or three guys going out on their own so yes in that case it would be faster, also trying to get down the stairs with all of that equipment on, especially the clunky fireproof boots can really slow things down and can be dangerous, a pole is much easier when wearing all the gear.

But most houses keep the clothing on the first floor so that isn't a concern, it makes sense for small firehouse that are built on two floors, the real problem is that the two floor method is completely outdated The fire pole was invented in the 1870s by Chicago, Illinois resident David Kenyon, although it is often incorrectly credited to the Boston Fire Department. It seems they used to use spiral staircases or fire chutes. The whole thing however is a throwback to when firefighters used horse drawn firetrucks!

Totally nuts that they still use the same system. From what I can tell the two story fire department became the traditional layout because the loft was where the hay was stored to feed the horses, the firemen had a lot of down time so they would sleep in the hay in the loft and needed a quick way to get down from the loft. There is no practical reason today why a firehouse should be two stories, new firehouses (including the one a few blocks from me) are built on one floor, they keep the firetrucks parked in front of the firehouse ready to go.

What I can't believe is that there are still places where the firefighters are volunteers and don't get paid! That's just crazy everytown should invest in a paid fire department.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.