DETROIT – Work crews braved the frigid temperatures on Thursday afternoon to restore the water to the firehouse on W. Alexandrine Street near Cass Avenue in Midtown, not far from the Wayne State University campus.
The firehouse is home to a pair of fire companies – Ladder 20 and Squad 2 – and Medic Unit 6.
The trouble started over the weekend, when late last Saturday night, crews working at the firehouse spotted a water leak in one of the main pipes.
“I received the initial phone call late Saturday evening into Sunday morning,” Asst. Fire Chief Dan Clapp said on Thursday. “That’s when we immediately temporarily relocated the companies that were stationed at that firehouse.”
“The Ladder truck that was stationed there went to the Eastern Market location, and the engine company went right down the street to Squad 2’s quarters, which is right behind the Fox Theatre,” Clapp said. “So, both of them stayed relatively close.”
The city’s construction and demolition department, along with the water and sewage department, were notified and appeared to have resolved the issue.
That is, until they turned the water back on the next day and found a second leak, further complicating the process.
Then along came Wednesday’s (Jan. 14) impromptu winter storm.
The water shutoff has also affected nearby residences, as well as Slow’s BBQ, which was closed for the second time this week due to the water problems.
The department says the pipes in the nearly 120-year-old firehouse should be fixed by this weekend, weather permitting.
As for the displaced units, the department says that emergency response times have not been affected this week.
“Just like we can’t predict the aging infrastructure of the city, we can predict the weather,” Clapp said. “So, I think both of those factors may have played a role in the timeframe is taken to get this fire company, this firehouse, back online, and the fire company back in service.”