Kensington's Firefighters Take the Stairs
There's no fire pole at Kensington Volunteer Fire Department, but it hasn't slowed the firefighters' response time.
One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking of a fire department is the fire pole. But when you visit Kensington's Volunteer Fire Department you can look all over, but you won't find one. "There is talk about wanting one. A lot of the firefighters would love to have one installed," said Fire Chief James P. Stanton. Built in 1946, the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department has had two additions since then, but a fire pole has never been included in the renovations. "If you spend a lot of time going to new stations, most of them do not have a pole," Stanton said. A fire pole was first reportedly used as a way to move between the floors of a fire station in 1878, when Chicago resident George Reid of Engine Company 21 slid down a …
