Many live lines snaked unattended across streets, fields and sidewalks for more than an hour because neither the fire department nor DTE had sufficient resources to handle the hazards.
A ladder truck broke down on the way to a two-story blaze
Firefighters are angry, frustrated and feel betrayed by a city they’ve been – and still are – devoted to.
There’s no way around it – there’s a crisis within the Detroit Fire Department. Layoffs, 10% pay reductions, no money for equipment – all at a time when firefighters are struggling to keep pace with a growing number of arsons. So for firefighters risking their lives and taking on insurmountable sacrifices, it was insulting Thursday when […]
It wasn’t an unusual afternoon for the fire department. Just a typical day in a city where nothing is unusual anymore.
After another rash of suspected arsons in Detroit early this morning, the cash-strapped fire department found itself with faulty equipment, malfunctioning fire hydrants and broken-down trucks.
Fighting fires is becoming an increasingly difficult task because of recent budget cuts that have trimmed personnel, rigs and new equipment.
The theft marks another embarrassing, eye-opening moment for a fire department battling more blazes with fewer firefighters, trucks and gear.
The latest victim to scrappers is the former Engine 10 at Martin Luther King and Grand Boulevard, which closed earlier this summer.
The east-side explosion reduced the home to toothpicks in an area rife with recent arsons.