Fire Pole

The Fire Pole is a movement building that allows Duplicants to quickly descend between levels without using ladders. It appears as a vertical pole placed on a tile; Duplicants can grab and slide down it to move downward faster than climbing a ladder, while upward movement still requires ladders or climbing. The Fire Pole functions as a simple transit shortcut and integrates with a base's circulation to dramatically improve travel times along frequently used routes.

Fire Poles are typically placed adjacent to ladder runs or in stairwell-like shafts to create fast downward pathways. When used with long ladder shafts, placing a Fire Pole beside a ladder — or beside a plastic ladder for a small decor and material cost savings — yields the best movement efficiency across a multi-level base. Because Fire Poles only speed descent, they are most effective when paired with ladders or lift infrastructure that permit upward travel; designing traffic flow to send Duplicants up ladders and down poles minimizes travel time.

Practical considerations and strategy:

• Place Fire Poles in high-traffic vertical shafts near chores, resource storages, or main conveyors to cut transit time for repetitive errands.
• Use Fire Poles in combination with ladders so duplicants can ascend normally and descend quickly; align pole tiles adjacent to ladder tiles to maximize throughput.
• Plastic ladders are a common complementary choice due to their low cost and adequate durability; putting a Fire Pole next to plastic ladders preserves mass and speeds movement.
• Because Fire Poles only affect downward movement, plan base layouts so critical repeated trips are downhill when possible (for example, sleeping quarters above work areas or resource zones below).
• Avoid placing Fire Poles where downward fall would lead into dangerous environments (lava, vacuum, high-pressure pockets) without proper safety buffers; the pole only transports Duplicants between tiles and does not negate environmental hazards at the destination.
• Combine Fire Poles with floor tiles and pneumatic doors to shape traffic patterns (e.g., funnel Duplicants into specific shafts) and prevent congestion at pole exits.
• Fire Poles are particularly valuable in tall, compact bases where vertical travel dominates; they provide a simple, passive speedup without power costs or moving parts.