“Detroit’s firefighters are battle-trained” once proclaimed the Detroit Free Press. The Detroit Fire Department Training Academy stands before us a testament to that claim. This is where smoke-eaters became conquerors of flames.
Opened on January 28 1931 the Detroit Fire Department Training Academy was once hailed as the only building of its kind. Its uniqueness lay in its design. The interior allowed for year-round indoor drills. Imagine a 75-foot aerial ladder operating inside. Hose lines could be hoisted. Life-saving drills were performed using all sorts of ladders. The rest of the building housed offices and training classrooms.
Hans Gehrke designed this building. He also designed the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters downtown. The drill tower reached a height of 78 feet.
The Detroit Fire Department Training Academy was more than just a school. It was a temporary home to Engine Co. 12. This happened after a devastating blast at their firehouse in 1947. A Public Works truck overfilled an underground gas tank. Fumes leaked into the firehouse basement. When a firefighter opened the furnace door the fumes ignited. The blast killed two firefighters and injured 13. Engine Co. 12 operated from the Detroit Fire Department Training Academy until 1976.
Trainees at the Detroit Fire Department Training Academy faced rigorous drills. A 1948 article described 13 weeks of basic training. Firefighters learned techniques to combat flames. They even learned how to use special nozzles on oil fires set outside. Instructors would set fires on various floors and send the students to work. To add even more pressure one of the men was placed in the building to await rescue from the flames and smoke.
Over the years the Detroit Fire Department Training Academy faced challenges. As Detroit’s population dwindled the building suffered from deferred maintenance. The city even sought to tear it down in 1998. However they had not found another spot to train firefighters. The Detroit Fire Department Training Academy remained in use until 2015. Cadets were then relocated to a facility near Coleman A. Young International Airport.
Ironically after being abandoned the Detroit Fire Department Training Academy became a target for arson. Its fireproof construction helped spare it. In 2018 one firefighter was injured battling a blaze here.
Fortunately this unique building may have a new life. In 2023 it was transferred to the city’s Planning & Development Department. Artspace plans to renovate the training center into apartments an art gallery and commercial space. The six-story tower’s dramatic interior will be preserved. There will be 11 apartments inside, and 42 additional residential units in a new building next to it.
Look closely at the facade. Do you see the decorative limestone that reads “DFD?” This serves as a reminder of the Detroit Fire Department Training Academy’s past. A past filled with training dedication and sacrifice.