Firefighters keeping 'drop pole' tradition alive

Firefighters using one of the last working poles in a Nottinghamshire station say they are proud to be keeping part of the tradition alive.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service's Arnold station is the last remaining site in the county that still uses the traditional feature.

Crew members based at the station said it remains one of the most popular attractions during community events and visits.

They hope to keep it in active use for as long as possible.

Firefighter Simon Barnes said he could still remember the feeling of going down a pole for the first time.

"It's your dream, it's what you think of as a kid," he said.

"You open those doors and think 'oh, that's a bit high', but once you've done it, you're out and away."

Mr Barnes said the pole remained a star attraction with children in particular.

"That's a big part of the fire service now, the community side of it," he said.

"We have a lot of school visits - Boys' Brigades, Girls' Brigades, scouts clubs, whoever, [and] the first thing they see is the pole drop.

"It'll be sad if it goes, but I hope not."

Though Mansfield fire station also has a pole, the Arnold station is the last one in active use.

Conor Bowskil said it was "exciting" when he learned the pole would be an important part of his job as he joined the Arnold station.

"Some of the stations have been modernised, so they're more community stations, [and] some are one storey so they don't need to have a pole drop," he said.

"From when you're a kid you always associate a fire station with a pole, so it's definitely exciting to go down it the first time."

Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.