July 7, 2026

Sam, the Cat Who Slid Down the Fire Pole

Sam the fire pole cat of Long Beach.

In the 1950s, a cat named Sam lived at Fire Station No. 6 in Long Beach, California. He learned to slide down the fire pole alongside the firefighters.

The first time he did it was during an "emergency," but after that, he kept doing it for fun.

Sam lived at Fire Station No. 6, which was located at the corner of 1st Street and Ontario Avenue in Long Beach. His unusual skill seemed to have started when another cat chased him through the firehouse and cornered him on the second floor.

Sam needed a way to get down, so he grabbed the fire pole, wrapped his paws around it, and slid all the way to the ground floor.

Once the firefighters realized he could perform this trick, they encouraged him to do it again. Eventually, Sam no longer needed any encouragement; whenever the firefighters slid down the pole, he would follow them.

On September 4, 1958, a photographer captured an image of Sam in mid-slide down the fire pole. The photo circulated widely, and the story of the cat from Fire Station No. 6 made its way into Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

Sam remained at the station until 1964, when the crew relocated to a modern, single-story building that lacked a fire pole. Shortly after the move, Sam disappeared, and that's where his story ends.

For a few years, Long Beach had a firehouse cat who descended the stairs just like everyone else.

Animals with jobs

More stories