Comments on: Detroit’s “Firehouse Roulette” Fails Again

By: J B

J B — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:28:59 +0000

Well it happened again in Detroit overnight 5/11/08.

A five yearr old child died because the closest firehouses were closed and firefighters had to wait for othere units to arrive on the scene…
What a shame….

By: Art

Art — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:30:06 +0000

I worked for the DFD for 34 years,I retired because I couldn’t deal any longer with all the incompetent people,from the mayor down to the Chief of Department.You can’t get anything repaired around the the firehouse from the city,if it wasn’t for the guys at the firehouses,they would have been condemned years ago.The repair shop for the rigs are a joke,you would be better off taking your rig to midas muffler shop.Fire officers are being sued when their rigs won’t pump,or the aerial ladder won’t raise,you think downtown cares?Give another 9 million away!Oh yeah,you can’t even get toilet paper or cleaning supplies,the poor firefighters have to buy it,if they want a clean firehouse.Fire gear,its a disgrace to have to use someone else’s used gear.As far as the firefighters in Detroit,there isn’t a more dedicated, braver,tougher,and most courageous guys that walk this Planet!

By: the dawg

the dawg — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:16:23 +0000

“if the (firefighters) union cares so much about safety, “Why don’t they take fewer days off?”

What crock of you know what that statement is. In all actuallity sick time is not the problem. The percentage of firefighters off sick is way below the average for the rest of the city workers. So it’s a hollow argument.

The administration in its infinate wisdom decided that overtime should be cut dramatically because some firefighters (officer’s don’t get O.T.) were making an extra couple thousand a year and the admin didn’t like that. Never mind that the firefighters haven’t had a raise in almost 5 years. The city consistently drags out contract negotiations for years beyond the end of any contract. Detroit firefghters are actually one of the lowest paid in the entire state. The city hasn’t hired in over 4 years, causing even more shortages in staffing to cover 100’s of retirements since the last class was hired. If a new hired firefighter in Detroit has a wife and 2 kids, they actually qualify for food stamps. No wonder moral is so low. Every study that has been done over the last 25 years has stated when a fire department goes from 4 personnel to 3, injury rates rise on average 46%, thus cutting available staffing even further with those firefighters off duty injured.

Even with low moral, the firefighters will continue do their absolute best to protect the citizens. It seems the city doesn’t have the same attitude. After serving for 33 years I finally realized I was fed up and retired. I just hope the firefighters I left behind stay safe as well as the citizens but with the city’s attitude, the outlook is bleak for the citizens of Detroit.