Staffing of the fire towers was done by men and women who were very skilled at recognizing the difference between a chimney or contained fire, and a wild fire that was starting. Within the small shelter cab at the top of the tower, the tower operator or spotter, would use binoculars and a map to line up a smoke based on a compass bearing, and by judging a distance based on familiar landmarks such as church steeples, water towers, ridges, or bodies of water. The tower would work with other towers in the area to try to triangulate the smoke and pinpoint the origin of the fire. It would then be radioed to patrol trucks or the local fire department who would respond based on the report from the tower. The color, volume, and height of the smoke would all be assessed and reported if the fire started to grow particularly fast or was moving out in a different direction. Crown fires, flames leaping above trees, could sometimes be observed indicating a fire that was rapidly becoming out of control.

     Next to actually preventing a fire from starting, the fire towers were one of the most valuable tools for spotting fires in their incipient stage when they might be able to prevent a large fire from gaining size. It is important to remember that the ability to observe and report fires that were away from populated areas was very limited. Telephones were wired in only some homes or businesses. Radios were not even available in the early days of towers, and later were usually in towers, fire stations, patrol trucks, and chief cars. Fires often gained great headway before the word could get out and equipment could be dispatched.

     There were, and still are, several fire towers in the Cape, Islands, and Plymouth area.  While the staffing and use of the fire towers is not what it once was, towers are still staffed during the fire season to report on fires.      

      A floor hatch is along one side and is kept closed until it is time for the observer to come in or out. In the center is a table with an area map under a piece of glass. A device called an "alidade" is mounted in the center of the table. It is able to pivot around as needed from its center mount. On each end of the alidade are simple sights that the spotter uses to line up by eye any smoke in the distance. A compass rose on the map is then used to provide a directional compass bearing known as the azimuth in degrees and fractions from the tower.

     The bearing, or line, on the smoke is then plotted on a topographical map that is folded down from the ceiling on a piece of plywood. It shows the compass rose of the area towers. Once two or more towers spot the smoke and line it up, the base can be pinpointed and the appropriate agency can be sent to the area.

     The tower also has a fire radio, and perhaps a chair or stool to sit on. Long days may have been improved by listening in on the radio to a ball game or by reading. Perhaps a lunch pale and a snack came with the observer. Depending on where the tower was located, the observer may have been able to talk with passersby or watch deer and other wildlife. Severe weather conditions would send observers to the safety of their vehicle on the ground.
 

     Plymouth County has also had a Fire Patrol Plane known as 1-0 for many years and continues to operate it during major fires.