The first thing I'd do would be get the pole back in working order. I'm not going to go any further because you can't talk about a pole without sounding gay.
Most of the older Firehouses had a lid that covered the pole hole during the day. The first fireman to get to it opened the lid and slid the pole.
For some reason when they closed an older Firehouse the first thing removed was the pole. Price of Brass I suppose. The newer firehouses had a spring in the bottom of the pole that opened a clamshell type closer when the first fireman slid it. Most of these holes had a railing at the entrance with a partition to go through to slide the pole. The new Firehouses today have a closet the pole is enclosed in.
The purpose of these doors and lids is more for keeping out the fumes and noise on the first floor than for protection as most fireman are smart enough not to walk into the hole. Today many of these closets are provided with exhaust fans to remove smoke from starting the engines.
Obviously this was an old Firehouse and the pole had been removed, Dont know why the lid would have been kept open,or removed, but even so, it would seem someone would be smart enough to turn on a light when they entered the second floor and would notice a hole there.