Article on Detroit FD problems - apparatus, equipment, stations...

[LT410 5]

Detroit firefighters battle fires, failures

Charlie LeDuff / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- He is a fireman on the city's east side, near the hulking wreck of the Packard automobile plant. He stands on the street corner outside his firehouse, hands in his pockets, waiting for the call box to call his number. The box bleats incessantly like a colicky sheep across a city perpetually in flames.

"Ladder 16, please respond."

The response comes.

"Ladder 16, out of service."

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...METRO/804220377

Edited July 11, 2008 by jack10562
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[Guest alsfirefighter]

More struggles for the brothers and sisters of Detroit. I remember when they had the SCBA cylinder issue when one ruptured and went through the apparatus compartment and imbedded into the wall. Lack of testing and maintenance was found an issue and when it first occurred the Chief at the time pulled them from the apparatus and then had to reverse that decision being their were no spares and they were trying to attempt fire attacks without them and getting guys injured.

The only semi nice section is around the ballpark and the buildings around it are even vacant and they fixed up only the sides that face the ballpark you can see from it. Reminds me of when I was living in Virginia and to see the state of DCFD in the early to mid 90's.

[Guest FFNick]

People on this board should read this article, and try to relate the problems in Detroit to what the guys in Mount Vernon are going through. The scale may be a bit different, but when you boil it down, it's all pretty much the same.

I'd like to see someone on this board respond with "Someone from Detroit should go and call XXX or they should tell the Mayor YYY or the Union should call OSHA and say ZZZ."

Where would Detroit get? Nowhere. Where will Mount Vernon get?

I bet that same nowhere.

Makes some of the gripes and rants on this board seem awfully petty.