The Detroit Fire Department Training School formally opened on Jan. 28, 1931, on West Warren and Lawton avenues.
At the time of its opening, it was said to be the only building of its kind in the world for training "smoke-eaters." What made it unique for its time was that the building's interior, which was built to allow for holding indoor drills year-round. The interior was so spacious, in fact, that it could operate a 75-foot aerial ladder. Hose lines could be hoisted and operated inside, and life-saving drills could be performed with all kinds of ladders. The remainder of the building was used for offices and training classrooms.
Among those attending the opening were Fire Commissioners Charles F. Clippert and C. Hayward Murphy, Police Commissioner James K. Watkins, as well as other city officials. The first chief of this training school was Harry J. Callahan.
The school building ranges in size from two to six stories, with the drill tower reaching a peak of 78 feet in height. It was designed by Hans Gehrke, the same architect behind the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters downtown, which was built in 1929.
"Detroit's firefighters are battle-trained," the Detroit Free Press wrote Feb. 15, 1948, in a photo profile on the academy. "Like military men, they are taught how to conquer the enemy - flames and smoke in their case. And like military men, too, they undergo 'basic training' - 13 weeks of rigorous drills in the techniques of fire-fighting."
For instance, an oil fire may be set outside, where they'd learn about using special nozzles and other techniques.
On Jan. 16, 1947, Engine House No. 12, located at Twelfth (present day Rosa Parks Boulevard) and Merrick, was devastated by a blast that killed two firefighters and injured 13. Those lost were Charles B. Parish, 41, and Paul J. Reiner, 28. An investigation found that a Detroit Public Works truck that was filling a 500-gallon underground gas tank was overfilled, causing some of the gasoline fumes to leak into the firehouse's basement. When Parish opened the furnace door, it ignited the fumes.
"Several of the firemen were blown across the street with the debris," the Free Press wrote the following morning. Several homes in the neighborhood were also damaged by the blast.
This led to Engine Co. 12 moving into the nearby Training School instead, where it operated from until it was disbanded in 1976.
As the city's population and resources dwindled, the building was suffering from severe deferred maintenance. The City sought to have the academy torn down in 1998, yet had not found another spot to train firefighters. The building remained in use until 2015, when the cadets were relocated to a facility near Coleman A. Young International Airport on Detroit's east side.
Somewhat ironically, after it was abandoned, several arsons have broken out at the former training school. Though its fireproof construction helped spare it, one firefighter was injured combating a blaze there in 2018.
Rising from the ashes
Fortunately, this unique building found a potential new lease on life. On Aug. 23, 2023, the building was declared surplus, and transferred to the City of Detroit's Planning & Development Department in order to find a developer for the building or the land. A purchase agreement was formalized on Sept. 29, 2023, with Artspace, which seeks to renovate the historic training center into 11 apartments, an art gallery and commercial space. The redevelopment proposal calls for preserving the six-story tower's dramatic interior as is. The developer also proposes erecting a new three-story building of 42 additional residential units and additional commercial spaces. The design also includes provisions for parking, a playground and other landscaping. Importantly, the development calls for reserving units as affordable housing for those earning below 60 percent of the area median income.
As of November 2024, the timeline on the project calls for construction to wrap in spring 2026 with leasing beginning that summer. For more information on the plan, go to Artspace's website.
More on this building coming soon.