Detroit 4th of July Trip

[Guest]

Why would anyone go into a store with people in it and start a fire? Nice shots by the way.

[Guest]

The officer of Engine 39 arrived, got off the rig, looked at the crowd and said,"let me guess, no one saw anything right?"

 

LMAO !  Priceless.  The first and last images tell it all. (the middle ones aren't bad, either. LOL)

[KDWMAEMT]

Hey Glenn, you recognize this guy? LOL!! It was nice meeting, chatting and shooting with you thru out the city. Looking forward to next year already!!

[signal29]

Kevin,

Nice shot.  It was meeting you as well.  I have to say I have met some great buffs in the years of buffing the D.

[signal29]

Continuing on our trip....From the 2nd alarm Dollar Store Job we went to another reported commercial building fire at 5391 East Outer Drive.  Upon arrival with Ladder 23 and Chief 9 we found smoke showing.  It was a car fire.

[signal29]

A new way to carry the bundle.

[signal29]

After these two fires we were given one hour R&R.  Later that evening on the fifth we caught an occupied house at 4737 Braden.

[signal29]

It turned out to be a snotty basement fire.

[signal29]

A few hours of quiet went by when we took this reported vacant apartment building in at 2740 Fullerton.  Engine 39 arrived and pulled a redline and laddered the building and went to work.  They requested and additional engine and truck on the box.  Talking to a neighbor, this was the 4th time this month this building has burnt.

[signal29]

the Engine 39 member knocked down quite a bit of fire with that redline.

[southwheatland514]

Okay...so to go firebuffing in Detroit all you pretty much need is a scanner, a GPS/Map, and plenty of gas?  Do you talk to the firefighters (AFTER the fire is out) or pretty much leave them alone?  Are they very receptive to buffs who stay OUT of the way?

[signal29]

I wish it was as easy as you just described.  For a scanner you need one that is capable of receiving the St. of Mich. 800mhz digital trunked network.  Wayne County is on this, thus so is Detroit.  Secondly, Detroit is a huge city.  I used to use a GPS, but now swear by Google maps, it is a lot quicker and more responsive, you can loose a satelite with it and it s game over.  It can take you well over twenty minutes to get to a fire in Detroit if it is across the city.  If thats the case it is a no go.  Detroit fireman are some of the most aggressive in the business and some houses can be very small(500Sqft).  You have to know your areas to be able to decide to take it in.  THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM is this, Detroit is an extremely dangerous place, some of its areas are the most dangerous in the country, Google it.  You have to be very careful where you stage and what you get yourself into. You can call the cops, but they probably won't come.  Many of us bring our own weapons for protection.  In Detroit they will kill you steal your stuff and burn your body before you can even think about it.  It is not for the faint of heart.

The firefighters are receptive to the buffs as long as they don't get in the way.  Some enjoy talking to you others don't care. I have met and made friends  with alot of them.   All in all I love the place and can't wait to go back.

[Juice]

I'll sit here and wait for photos.

 

In all seriousness, I've been to Detroit once, and that was for the premier of BURN. Literally, the only fire action I saw next to the Seagrave Sedan Pumper was Engine 1 backing back into quarters, and I was fine with that. Several of you guys do a fantastic job at documenting Detroit, and as much as I follow everything that goes on there, from the fleet, to staffing, to new equipment, I have 0 ambition to physically follow them, it's safer behind my keyboard.

 

Trav!

[Guest]

Glenn,

 

                Awesome shot's brother !. One of these day's I'll make it out there. The question I have is where do you stay when your there ?.

[signal29]

Jay,

We stay in a motel just outside of downtown on East Jefferson, right near the highway.

[signal29]

So to finish this topic up, on the last day we were there, the 6th, we caught a pretty good vacant, residential over commercial, first due at about 4.am. at 6223 Lafayette Blvd.

[signal29]

A member from Engine 27 waiting for water.

[signal29]

Truckies ready the ladder pipe.

[signal29]

On the way back to the hotel we caught this house up in Chief 9's area at 19533 Reno.  It was a 500 sqft cape that looked like someone dropped a bomb right through the middle.

[signal29]

Last one for the trip.  I like this because I think it sums up the trip.