Decaying facility

Fire academy falling apart, cited for safety code violations

Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News On April 9, 1998, the city of Detroit issued a permit to tear down the fire academy because it had missing windows, exposed electrical wiring and a basement prone to flooding. The demolition couldn’t go forward because the department was using the building.

By Melvin Claxton and Charles Hurt / The Detroit News

    On April 9, 1998, the city of Detroit issued a permit to tear down one of its own buildings.
    The 74-year-old structure had missing windows, exposed electrical wiring and a basement prone to flooding.
    The building, at 2775 W. Warren was so run-down that Detroit’s Public Works Department lumped it with the city’s abandoned structures.
    But despite its dilapidated appearance, it was still in use.
    It was the Fire Department’s training academy, a building the department has used to instruct recruits since it was built in 1926.
    But on Oct. 9, 1997, inspectors with the city’s Building and Safety Engineering Department found a lot wrong with the structure.
    They cited the Fire Department for several code violations including a leaking roof, peeling paint and broken and falling windows.
    The Fire Department was even cited for not posting exit signs, a fire code violation. Inspectors gave the Fire Department three months to fix the problems.
    But the problems weren’t fixed. The city issued demolition permit No. 16086 for the building. Adamo Demolition, a company that does millions of dollars of demolition business with the city, got the job to raze the building.
    Adamo never started the job because the building was occupied.
    City inspectors again cited the Fire Department in June 1999 for many of the same structural problems at the academy, including the leaking roof and broken windows.
    This time, inspectors added damaged, peeling plaster and missing bricks to the list.
    Inspectors gave the Fire Department 30 days to address their concerns. Again, the department didn’t. So far, inspectors have taken no action.
    Fire Commissioner Charles Wilson said he knew nothing of the demolition permit, but added that he understands why someone would want the dilapidated building torn down.
    Wilson said last week the city hopes to build a joint training academy for fire and police.
    In the meantime, the department is preparing to spend about $40,000 to replace boilers in the academy that haven’t worked since last year.
    Instructors and students at the academy had to use space heaters last winter and classes were confined to few rooms.

Contact the reporters at churt@detnews.com and mclaxton@detnews.com.