Engine 47 / Ladder 30
The quarters for Detroit Fire Engine 47 and Ladder 30 feature a strange design quirk. Unlike most stations that house multiple companies, which share living and dinning quarters, the station on Mt. Elliot is actually two separate buildings joined together. The quarters for Engine 47 were built first, in 1921, followed by Ladder 30 in 1928, so each apparatus bay has its own facilities.
Stations like Engine 47 and Ladder 30 that were in outlying parts of the city were usually the first ones to be targeted for temporary or permanent closure. Sometimes when there were not enough firefighters to staff all the companies in the city, the department would reduce the number of personnel riding on each ladder or engine from four down to three or even two. The union representing Detroit firefighters challenged the practice in court, citing the increased workload and risk of injury to members. On December 10th, 1998, the courts agreed, and issued a temporary restraining order against the practice, forcing the city to close five companies to bring the remaining ones up to full staffing. Three hours after the order came down, a 3-year-old died in a house fire a short distance away from Engine 47 and Ladder 30’s quarters. While Engine 47 was able to respond quickly, Ladder 30 was one of the companies closed that day.
Temporary closures would become permanent. Engine 47 closed first in 2012, followed by Ladder 30 in 2013. For a while a security guard was living in the building in the hopes that it could be saved from the scrapping that had left other stations unsalvageable. As the financial situation of the city has improved there are tentative plans to refurbish and reopen the station.
