The Free Press visits an East Side engine house, and finds that in addition to abundant fires, Detroit firefighters constantly battle malfunctioning equipment, violence, angry citizens, thefts, arsonists and even prostitutes.
Columnists John Carlisle and photographer Romain Blanquart spend time with the crews of Engine Co. 58 and Squad 6 at Morang and Lakepointe. In a previous life, Carlisle was Detroitblogger John, who developed a following for his stories about the underside of Detroit for the Metro Times.
The companies weren't too busy when the Free Press tagged along, but Carlisle and Blanquart managed to capture the existential quality of life in the Detroit Fire Department, such as a run to extinguish burning brush that a resident had deliberately torched because he wanted to get rid of it. THis took place along Moross, a busy thoroughfare that is the extension of E. 7 Mile.
"The firefighters make a point to show courtesy to their uninvited visitors, too," Carlisle writes.
"Like the emaciated drug addict with the shakes and sallow eyes who comes for free morning coffee. The mother and her three kids who bring a wagon full of empty water bottles and fill them using the firehouse water. The wobbly drunk who stands out front and keeps retelling the story of how his garage burned down."
One firefighter told Carlisle: “There’s nothing like this. It’s so hard to explain to someone that has never seen it. I’ve seen it in the burbs, and then I come here, and I got buddies in other major cities who just don’t understand. They’re like ... this is insane.’
“No shit. Welcome to the D.”
The story in Monday's paper was the second in a two-part series. To read Part One, click here.
