Atop this pole is a wooden two wire pole-top extension with a double-pin crossarm along with wiring connecting the community's fire alarm telegraph boxes with the central station.

This was commonplace pole-line construction practice with fire alarm wires commencing in the early 1880s. Stringing such vital communication wires atop poles kept them from interfering with telephone and/or electric lighting circuits that ran beneath. It was commonplace for the latter (lower wires) to break especially during storms. Keeping the fire call box lines on top assured no physical or electrical contact with any other circuits that ran on the pole.

When paired-cable telephone circuits (particular lead-sheathed cable) and standardized (sturdier) electric utility construction came about in the early teens, fire alarm circuits on new construction was mounted lower, typically between the then-new (or upgraded) electric and telephone poles and cables.