Detroit Firefighter Line of Duty Death – Walter Harris

Today in DFD history – November 15, 2008

Detroit Firefighter Walter Harris made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the citizens of Detroit.  At the time of his death Walter was assigned to Engine 23, in the 6th Battalion. He held the rank of Senior Firefighter, badge # 3386.

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Around 5:00 am on the morning of November 15, 2008, Engine 23 was called to a fire in a vacant dwelling at 7418 E. Kirby Street. Engine 23 and Squad 3 arrived to find flames shooting out the second story windows.

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Detroit Firefighters “Bomberos Give Back”

Detroit Firefighters give back to help needy families this Christmas.

Christmas is especially difficult for Detroit families who have fallen on hard economic times. Detroit Firefighters know this all too well.

Detroit’s bankruptcy, multiple pay cuts and reduced health care benefits are hitting them hard. Despite this, a group of Detroit Firefighters and their families are working to ensure several Detroit families have a Merry Christmas.

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Axemen M/C Christmas Party

The Axemen M/C Detroit (a professional firefighters motorcycle club) will host the “Dare to Care”, Bring a Teddy Bear Christmas Party.

The party will be held at Lyskawa VFW Hall, Dearborn Heights, MI (View Map).

December 6th, 2014
Doors open at 6:000pm
Dinner at 7:30 pm.

Please RSVP via Facebook or by calling Brent at (313) 461-7840

Proceeds and donations from the party will benefit the University of Michigan Childrens’ Burn Unit.

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Detroit Firefighter injured as a wall collapsed at a fire in the old Fisher Body plant.

A Detroit Firefighter is in stable condition with a possible head injury after a wall collapsed at a fire.

Crews were fighting a fire in the old Fisher Body plant at Harper and Piquette this morning.  Two firefighters were in the bucket, approximately 40 feet in the air, when a wall of the building collapsed.

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Second Time Thieves Steal Saws from a Detroit Fire Truck!

For the second time in less than 2 years Detroit’s Ladder 22 has had a chainsaw and a large K-14 saw stolen from their fire truck. Firefighters use the chainsaw to breach the roofs of building to allow hot air and superheated gasses to escape during a fire. The larger saw is used to cut open metal doors often found on commercial buildings. To add injury to insult, the equipment was taken from the ladder truck while Ladder 22’s firefighters were fighting a fire.

After the first theft the replacement saws had been chained together with the chain attached to the inside of a truck’s compartment. At the time of the theft Ladder 22’s truck was out of service. They were given a Tac as a temporary replacement rig so the chain securing the saws was not attached to the rig.

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Detroit Firefighter Line of Duty Death – George Lloyd

Today in Detroit Fire Department history –
Detroit Firefighter Line of Duty Death
October 15, 1917

Detroit Fire Department Substitute Fireman George Nelson Lloyd made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the citizens of Detroit. At the time of his death George was assigned to Engine 6.

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George died from injuries he sustained by falling through an engine house fire pole hole on October 1, 1917.  He was 28 years old.

George Lloyd was born November 9, 1888 to Mary (Kline) Lloyd and James Lloyd.  George never married.  His full time profession was carpentry.

He was buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Detroit, MI on October 17, 1917.

Detroit Firefighters respond to a jackknifed fuel tanker and a broken natural gas line.

This morning Detroit Firefighters were called out to a fuel tanker that had jackknifed and slid into a church.  The accident caused a natural gas line to break and the tanker came to rest directly on top of it.

As one firefighter put it, this is “not really what I wanted to wake up to.”

Detroit Fire Department History 1931- Depression Soup Lines

Today in DFD history 1931 – October 

The first depression soup line began at Engine 1.  

1930s soup kitchen at the firehouse

It was soon extended to 30 other stations to feed hundreds of hungry citizens during the worst years of the depression.   

This article, During the Great Depression Action Was Taken has some interesting insight into Detroit’s attemp to aid those who were hardest hit by the depression.

Another interesting post is Detroit Thrift Gardens of 1931  – The Depression Years which talks about the “vacant lot gardening” program that helped to feed the hungry.

The hard times of the depression were also expressed in song.   Detroit Moan, by Victoria Spivey was recorded in 1936.  Ms. Spivey sings of the hardships of life in Detroit as the depression dragged on year after year.