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At the International Police Exhibition in Essen in 1956, an emergency call device was presented with which the police could be alerted by the population free of charge. This so-called "iron policeman" was widespread. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, up to 3,000 of the light green pillars were erected long before a uniform, free emergency call, e.g. from telephone booths, was possible.
The iron guard was about 2.20 meters high and marked on the roof with a luminous inscription "Polizei" or "POLICE + FIRE". At the top of the column was a yellow flashing light. It was activated when a citizen made contact with the police by pressing a toggle switch via a two-way intercom.
The control centre, in turn, could call each individual call pillar, whereupon the rotating beacon signalled the call to the local police officers. The "Iron Policeman" still carries out its duties sporadically today.
With similar telecommunications technology and operation, but housed in a box, police call points in front of police stations that are not permanently manned offer the possibility of calling for help.
