Another Kick in Detroit Firefighters' Turnout Pants

Detroit firefighters got a kick in their turnout pants this weekend while fighting a fire in an area that has seen almost a dozen fires in a three-day period.

Someone stole important firefighting equipment – a pair of saws valued at about $2,000 each – while the firefighters from Ladder Company 22 were battling the blaze, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Firefighters use a chainsaw to breach the roofs of buildings to allow hot air and superheated gases to escape. The larger saw, known as a K-14, is used to cut open metal doors often found on commercial buildings.

“We parked the rig and fought the fire,” Firefighter Jeremy Mullins told the Free Press. “When we came back and opened the compartment, they were gone. ... It was easy pickings. It’s very frustrating. I’ve put in a lot of effort to get things like that for my firehouse and other firehouses to make sure they have what they need. To have them stolen, it’s a slap in the face.”

It’s not the first time such a theft has occurred, according to a story on the Detroit Fire Department’s legacy website.

A similar theft occurred in January 2013. Firefighters had left the firehouse at 6830 McGraw briefly to grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant. When they returned, the chainsaw and K-12 saw were missing.

The K-12 was recovered at a local flea market, but the chainsaw was never found. It was later replaced through a donation by the National Firefighters Endowment.

After the first theft, Ladder Company 22 firefighters chained the saws together, then attached the chain to the inside of the truck. But firefighters were using a temporary replacement vehicle because the ladder truck was out of service, and they hadn’t secured the saws.

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Ladder Company 22 is using funds raised by selling T-shirts – money originally earmarked for a kitchen remodeling project at the firehouse – to buy a replacement chainsaw. They’re not sure how – or if – they’ll replace the larger K-14 saw.

If you’d like to help financially, click here.

United Auto Workers Local 22 has also set up a fund to replace the saw.

“We do more with less,” Mullins said. “It’s gotten worse, and it’s getting progressively worse.”

This summer during Detroit’s historic bankruptcy trial, Detroit firefighters’ jury-rigged fire alarm system consisting of cans, coins, screws and other makeshift items received national publicity.

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Photo courtesy of Detroit Fire Department Legacy.com