Are you at the design stage of your building project?

Poles allow for flexible building design.

Poles are not just another means of egress like stairs and should not be placed in a similar manner at the edges of stations.

Stairs are best suited for personnel ascending or descending floors during non-critical times.

When peak flow of personnel is of utmost importance, poles are a piece of firehouse equipment designed to empty a station as quickly and safely as possible.

• Poles should be placed at the busiest locations and intersections where first responders gather on the upper levels - dining, sleeping and entertainment rooms - as well as hallway junctions. They should be easily accessible with minimal obstructions.
  
  
• Poles should to be placed directly above the desired destination - usually the apparatus - deploying first responders directly where they need to be. This may require multiple installations.
  
  
• Poles should be placed in a well-lit area.
  
  
• For safety reasons, the pole opening must be round and properly guarded. McIntire Model 20 and 23 poles are fully guarded, and McIntire Safety Kits are available for the Model 19.
  
  
• Other than clearances or a minimal 5” floor thickness for the Model 20, Model 23, or Safety Kits, poles do not require any special structural considerations.
  
  

What slide pole model should you install?

Here are some architectural design challenges that may be present and how to resolve them.
(Click on Situation for more information)

Situation #1 - A fire separation is required between first level and second level

Situation #2 - A fire separation is not required but an air separation is

Situation #3 - A shared air space (such as in the apparatus bay)

If you have a design challenge that was not mentioned here, please contact us. We have had many years of experience helping first responders, architects, and contractors solve their problems and find their slide pole solutions.