2775 West Warren Avenue
Detroit Fire Department Training Academy, Engine 12, Ladder 9
As Detroit’s population boomed, so did the number of fires within the city limits due to the sheer number of people living in such close quarters. In 1930, Detroit Fire Department officials broke ground on a new training facility to assist in teaching firefighters the tricks of the trade. The structure was designed by Hans Gehrke, who was behind the plans for over a dozen firehouses in Detroit. It would be completed by 1931 and has stood at the corner of West Warren and Lawton ever since.
A clipping from the Detroit Free Press in 1950 described the school as ‘one of the best in the United States [and] has permanent “situations” set up, including a six-story building.’ The chief of the school at the time was William S. Allison, and he told reporters that he sets fires on various floors of the school and sent the students to work. ‘To make things more interesting…one of the men will be placed in the building to await “rescue” from the flames and smoke.’
In 1967, fire chiefs from Bay City, Madison Heights, and other cities around the state came into town to view Mack Truck’s brand new aerialscope platform. The demonstration showcased how high and stable the platform could go and whether or not it was worth the $80,000 price tag. I’m not sure if Detroit ended up purchasing one.
In 1974, teenagers from Detroit High Schools participated in a training course at 2775 West Warren over their summer break. In addition to learning about firefighting, the teens learned ‘first aid and lifesaving practices,’ the Detroit Free Press reported.
Over the years, applications and training sessions to become a firefighter were held at the training facility. There were ads in the paper from almost every decade advertising the job. An engine and a ladder called the facility home for a few decades, allowing trainees to be up close and personal with those fighting fires daily. I believe all the active firetrucks were gone by the early 1990s, but EMS was still there.
In March 1987, a vacant structure next to the training center went up in flames. Formerly Northway Motors, the structure had last been used by the Motor City Wiping Cloth Company, who had abandoned it a few years prior. Willie James Clemons, a self-identifying alcoholic, plead guilty to starting the fire. The city was in the early process of demolishing the structure when it burnt down, taking the active Continental Paper & Supply Company next door in the blaze.
Three firefighters, Lt. Paul Schimeck, 46, Lt. David Lau, 58, and Larry McDonald Jr., 20, died fighting the blaze. Clemons, seen running from the building during the fire, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The company that left behind the kindling saw no legal action. The remnants of Northway Motors are visible from the DFD training facility—standing (well, crumbling) as a faint reminder of what can happen while fighting fires in Detroit.
Into the 1990s, the building showed signs of wear and needed updating. In the mid-2000s, the training facility offered free lunches for children over summer vacation. By this point, the neighborhood surrounding the structure was thin, and most industries were gone. In 2014 or 2015, a new facility opened at 10200 Erwin, near City Airport. Thieves and vandals soon stormed the building on W. Warren.
There was a small fire at the structure in December 2018, which led officials to realize that old documents with sensitive information were still inside. Having found various documents with social security numbers on them at abandoned municipal buildings in the past, this isn’t surprising to me. They were removed, and the building was secured. It has since been reopened for trespass, albeit on a more limited scale.
Given the unique size of 2775 West Warren, it’s hard to imagine what kind of business could reuse the space. The Detroit Fire Department still owns it, and I have not been able to determine if they have any plans for it. Although Duggan doesn’t run the fire department, I’d imagine it would be torn down if he had his way.
My favorite detail on this structure is the decorative limestone on the facade that reads ‘DFD.’ It feels powerful but sinister in its current state—almost evil.
I’ve shared more details about the Northway Motors fire in the past, but I plan to write an in-depth story on it soon, so look out for that.
