Detroit, MI Fire Department

[dcmkris]

2002 Ford F350 Tactical Rescue & Haz Mat trailer.  This is likely to be replaced by 1 of the 6 new Spartan/SVI walk in heavy rescues to be delivered starting in March 03.

This is apparatus #249 delivered in 2002 it is a American LaFrance Metropolitian not sure about engine # as DFD Apparatus does that decal.  Photo credit ALF web page.

Note from Box 2565 - Image lost during site update.

[daysleeper47]

I remember reading, I think in Firehouse or on Firehouse.com that Detroit was having quite a problem with aging fire trucks. I seem to remember a huge study was done regarding the overall effectiveness of the DFD. Overall, how are they doing to fix this problem? I see many new trucks posted here, but does this represent a large portion of the DFD fleet? Thanks in advance.

[dcmkris]

Joe you probably read that about 2-3 years ago when media attention was at its peak. For the most part the DFD average age was around 10-15 years and seriously falling apart. DFD has done a great job on new acquisitions since then. Some of this is because of the men who would not let this issue rest in media and also good work by former Mayor Archer and top DFD people. I will admit without the media things would not have changed.

As of today the biggest problem is rotating Co. shut downs due to budget constraints. Most of this is due to major overtime. But without new recruiting classes it's hard not to have major overtime. Supposedly a new recruiting class will start in Sept. we'll wait and see, that should alleviate some of the overtime. The other thing is that DFD fireboat is not being used once again due to budget constraints. This after Ford Motor Co paid over 1 million to refurbish her just a few years ago. The city of Windsor has offered to man her and pay for all costs but this will not happen, too much red tape. (Also most DFD people don't want Windsor to touch their boat. Better for her to sit and rot.)

As for apparatus things are much better. With the last truck order o f15 the dept.’s largest truck order in history. There are now no front line trucks older than 4 years and there is even one spare that's a 2001. The other spares are all around 96 era.

The engines are a little different but most are fairly new. I'll have to look it up but half of them are at least 2001 or newer this number may be higher. I know that the X-rig fleet is made up of 92 & 94 Spartan Quality's so I would say there are no front line units older than 1994.

The Rescues are all scheduled to be replaced this year with Spartan/SVI trucks. 3 of them are finished with 2 more to go. They should arrive soon.

[dcmkris]

More on DFD Engines.  Ok I went thru my stuff and this is what I have on the engines.  

3=1992   Spartan/Quality
2=1993   Spartan/Quality
7=1995   KME
4=1998   HME/Ferrara
1=1999   Oshkosh T-1500 (City Airport)
14=2000 ALF
5=2002   Pierce
1=1986   Sutphen Quint  (I have not checked it out but I'm pretty sure this  
                                      now an X-rig and they have a 2002 Sutphen Quint)

I have not talked to anyone at DFD lately but I would assume from how much they love the Pierce units and how much they hate the ALF stuff that all future orders will go to Pierce.  I would also suspect that most of the pre 2000 units would be disposed of in the next few years.  Of course one can never been sure with our beloved city government and how they had out budgets to the departments.

[Box 2565]

Detroit MI  Ladder 18
2003 Pierce
60 HP/300 Tank/100' Aerial
Serial #13909-04  Model: Dash
Shop #380
Steve Hagy photo.

[Box 2565]

Truck 1
1992 Spartan/LTI
60 GPM/300 Tank/110' Aerial
Shop #946  Serial #91 044 98
Sitting across from the shops waiting to go to the scrapyard. 
Steve Hagy photo.

[Box 2565]

Detroit - Ladder 21
2001 American LaFrance
100' Aerial
Shop #290  Serial #99 073 93
Steve Hagy photo.

[dcmkris]

Not sure what companies got the ax but this had been coming for a long time!  It will be 3 ladders and 2 engines.  Mayors buget calls for quite a few cuts in Fire & EMS staffing.

The commissioner says no fire house will be completely closed.  I wonder who in the mayors office came up with this brilliant strategy.  It's a nice way to make it look like the deactivitions won't really affect anyone.  Becuse let's face it the firefighters are still there.  And if thier still in the house how can your protection be affected?  I know the firefighters are just thrilled that the comiss thinks that no ones safety will be at risk.  

Oh well this is what Detroit gets for electing the mayor and council they have.  I Pray no one pays the ultimate price for it though.

Alarms Sound Over Fire Cuts in Detroit

SALINA ALI
Detroit Free Press via Associated Press

Many Detroit residents and firefighters said they thought Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's proposal to shut down five fire companies and lay off 41 firefighters was outrageous.

But now recommendations to the City Council have many sounding alarms.

The council, looking to close a projected $300-million deficit in the city budget, is eyeing $15 million in additional cuts to the Fire Department operations budget and $7 million in salary reductions.

That could mean a total of 147 firefighters would be laid off and 10 fire companies would be deactivated.

Neither of the plans would close any fire stations.

"We tried to use a laser, but City Council used a hatchet," Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams said Monday, referring to the decision on budget cuts.

The council also is looking at recommendations that would cut $54 million from the Police Department as it looks to cut the deficit.

Council members say the plan presented by the mayor is so full of holes, they have no confidence that it will be balanced.

They say they have little choice but to try to come up with a revised budget that will get the city through the next year.

"This would be horrible for our community," Kilpatrick said Monday at a news conference. "The decisions I made in my budget did not come easy. But you can't cut with an ax."

Adams, Fire Commissioner Tyrone Scott and Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings met with council members Monday to discuss the council's proposed cuts. Bully-Cummings and Scott implored the council not to make additional cuts to their departments, which they said are already working with minimal funding.

Meanwhile, members of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association Local 344 spoke out against the proposed cuts at a news conference in front of two burned houses at Elm and Harrison in southwest Detroit. The neighborhood has been the target of arsonists.

State Rep. Steve Tobocman, D-Detroit, who along with area residents joined union members at the news conference, said the city needs to seek alternative budget cuts.

"There is not a lot of fat to trim, but fire services are a matter of life and death, and it's absolutely critical that the city have the resources to respond," Tobocman said.

John Nagy, a 50-year resident of southwest Detroit, said the area needs more, not fewer, firefighters and equipment because of a nearby Marathon oil refinery and heavily industrial Zug Island.

"If these places were ever to catch fire, it would be disastrous to southwest Detroit," he said.

Fresh on the minds of some residents were the fires that swept through five structures in Highland Park on Friday. That city had to rely on Detroit and suburban districts to battle the fires.

"We don't have the fire apparatus and fire equipment," said Lois Koehler, 65, a lifelong resident of southwest Detroit. "They're going to lay off these men when I hear there aren't enough men at fire stations now."

Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins and other council members say police and fire have to be looked at because about a third of the city's budget is spent in these public safety departments.

Distributed by the Associated Press

Kris

[dcmkris]

DFD batteled one of the biggest fire I can remmember since the Uniroyal plant (Well I'm not sure it was uniroyal but it was a tire plant went up in the 80's) last night.

The fire was a 5 alarm, 1 city block long and aprox 200-300 feet deep the building was shaped like an "E".  Loacated at John R and Piquette. The building housed a furniture auction house, meat market but was mostly empty.  

It was originally the home of EMF automobiles, then Sutedbaker automobiles, Military parts during WW2 and MI National Guard 50-70's aprox.  

The building was a complete loss with the FD taking up a defensive stance from the very first engine response.  Wish I would have had a tape going for the scanner at the time very active!  

Anyway here are some links to the coverage,  I have some photos from this morning but they are slides and will take about a week to get them back.  Maybe fcdan has some photos.  

http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0506/21/B01-222684.htm

http://www.freep.com/news/locway/webfire21e_20050621.htm

http://www.freep.com/photos/2005/fire_0621/index.htm

VIDEO

http://www.detnow.com/

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/4634645/detail.html

This may or may not be related to the 5 alarmer that DFD responded to in Highland Park as mutual aid back in May.  Hamtramck, Bingham Farms, and Royal Oak also responded to help HPFD.  Some links to that story which was determined to be arson.  As far as I know no one has been charged in the HP fires.  

http://www.freep.com/news/locway/fire14e_20050514.htm

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?sectionId=46&id=41745

http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0505/14/1met-180980.htm

VIDEO
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/4485057/detail.html


Kris

[Box 2565]

Engine 50
2000 American LaFrance
1250 GPM - 500 Tank
Shop #245   Serial #G 81222
Steve Hagy photo.

[Box 2565]

Truck 23
2003 Pierce
60 HP - 300 Tank - 100' Aerial
#13909-05  Model: Dash
Steve Hagy photo.

[Box 2565]

Engine 58
2002 Pierce
1250 GPM - 500 Tank - 30 Foam
Serial #13878-04
This photo shows "The Bundle"!  Steve Hagy photo.

[Box 2565]

Engine 55
2000 American LaFrance
1250 GPM - 500 Tank
Shop #257
Steve Hagy photo.

[Box 2565]

Engine 17
1998 HME/Ferrara
1250 GPM - 500 Tank
Shop #220  Serail #H 1107
Steve Hagy photo.

[Box 2565]

Ladder 16
2005 Pierce
60 HP/300 Tank/100' Aerial
Shop #481  #15923-01  Model: Dash
Steve Hagy photo.

This view shows the booster system that is present on all DFD ladders.  Truck 23 was operating with this apparatus when photographed as Truck 16 is one of 6 companies that are out of service almost every day due to lack of staffing.  In addition to the companies OOS for lack of staffing there were 5 additional companies thta were out of service when we were in the Motor City last weekend as they had no apparatus to assign to them.