Never mind the pole, is there still room for a volleyball net and BBQ area
I can't beleive they are moaning about not having a pole.


Fire chiefs in Devon have hit back at claims they built a new station without a pole for health and safety reasons.

The 52 firefighters at the new £2.1m Greenbank fire service HQ, in Plymouth, have to run down two flights of stairs to get to their engines.

It was reported the pole was left out for fear of officers slipping on it, hurting their knees and ankles.

But a spokeswoman for Devon Fire and Rescue Service said there was no room for a pole in the station.

Bernard Hughes, Fire Service Authority chairman, said on Friday that everything in the fire service was now governed by risk assessment.

But the spokeswoman said on Saturday: "The reason it was omitted was down to a lack of space.

"It doesn't mean the next station we build won't have a pole."

A Fire Brigades Union (FBU) spokesman said: "Yesterday it was about health and safety.

"They made a statement saying they had carried out a risk assessment.

"Clearly someone has made a big mistake."

He added he believed using stairs wasted time and was just as dangerous.

Trevor French, the Devon representative of the FBU, said there have been complaints in the station about the lack of a pole.

"When you join the fire service it's the image you have in your head that when you have your first shout you are going to slide down the pole.

"It's very disappointing for the new recruits," he said.

Firefighters moved into the new station in June this year and it was officially opened in July.

Devon's Chief Fire Officer Paul Young said: "This is one of the silliest stories I have heard in a long time and one that has been blown out of all proportion.

"Devon Fire and Rescue Service took the decision regarding the design of Greenbank fire station in full consultation with the unions and health and safety representatives.

"Whilst every consideration regarding health and safety was taken into account, the reason that a pole was not included was purely due to space restrictions."

The traditional pole has been used in fire stations since Victorian times and was described by the FBU spokesman as an "iconic symbol" which is also "useful and very important".

What a joke. The reason they didn't put it in is because of so called health and safety rules. I read an article in the Sun about it. They said more firefighters get injuries running down stairs to a fire engine than they do going down a pole. Also, running down the stairs does waste seconds getting to an accident/fire etc.

It's not fair, I want a pole at my traffic garage, oh wait a minute we've only got one floor

The poles to get the FFs from their beds and to the appliance bay so after a nice long kip, I suppose using the stairs is a bit of an inconvenience

I must agree with James though, its gotta be safer using a pole than running down flights of stairs

BLOODY POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD AGAIN!

How about a circular slide???

Trust you to come up with something like that. But then again, that would of course be too dangerous for firefighters.

Not really is done properyl, with a flat plain at the bottom to slow them down

I always got told off for running on the stairs!

Actually ours leads down from the training room, toilets, mess and locker room. The rest room is on the ground floor!

I bet as you retained you drive down from home (with the pager bleeping) get out, run up the stairs go down the pole then go off in the appliance. You do dont you make you feel like a real fireman

Ha ha ha

Never heard of a pole in a toilet.

I dont need to do that anymore Al, iv had a pole put up in the house, straight from the bedroom into the garage!!! ...............Oh and I sometimes use it if I get called out too

Do retained stations with two or more floors even have poles?