Tales of the 7th Battalion 3
Engine 27
One of the joys of being a Firefighter is the family atmosphere of the working environment. The 24 hour shift includes almost everything you would do in your own home. At the Engine House you do the morning paper work, clean the quarters, wash and service the apparatus, and participate in training sessions. While these chores are being done the cook is preparing the noon meal. After eating the department allows for an afternoon rest time.
Most of the Firefighters will take a 1 PM to 4PM nap. This is quiet time in the Fire Hall. There will be one more meal in the evening then the men on duty can pursue personnel activities. Engine 27 had a handball court. Other companies had activities like weight lifting or other interesting things happening in the basement. Hobbies and crafts were the main course for the evening at Engine 27. When I was running there it was not uncommon to walk into the large kitchen area and find people tying fishing flies or doing leather crafts. We had an engineer who repaired watches at a side table near the back door. It was a lucrative small business for him. He was always working on orders. On occasion he would leap up and yell,” Don’t move.”
Whoever was in the kitchen would freeze. Leo would then lay prone on the floor putting his cheek on the concrete to scan the surface for a small spring or part of a watch he had dropped. He found his item 99 percent of the time. Every quarters has a TV room. Whenever a big sports event is being televised the room will be crowded with Firefighters and our brothers in blue, the cops. Patrol cars would park behind the Engine house and the TV room would crackle with the sound of police portable radios on standby for a run. Before the new society took over the City of Detroit there would be the company dog stretched out among the men snoring away. It was a comfortable family scene. The tranquility of our home away from home could be broken in an instant by a run to the dangers of a fire call. We could be watching the Red Wings playing hockey and two minutes later be desperately trying to reach victims trapped in a fire.
A day in the Fire House was always exciting and the challenges of fire fighting were a constant threat. We all loved it.
Any of you old 7th Battalion guys out there with a story please contact me at .
"Fire Talk" Archives
- Benny the Hook
- Got To Love Texas
- The Fog of Retirement
- Two Tough Kids
- On Leaving the Department
- Cop Talk 3, Ceremony
- Putting it on the Line
- A Bond of Love
- God Will Protect Us
- Stealing Fires
- Poo Poo Pants
- Decoy Carver
- Firefighter's Road Trip
- Day Twenty-seven. Road Trip
- Down Mexico Way
- Zoo in the 7th
- A Gentle Landing
- Always a Firefighter
- Christmas at the Firehouse
- Harem Sacrum
- The Crow Who Spoke Polish
- Once a Firefighter always a Firefighter
- A Brotherhood
- Retiring a Hall of Fame Firefighter
- Anatomy of Forcible Entry
- 911
- Old Horses
- The Milk Wagon
- The Howling
- Tales of the Seventh Battalion 26, Destructo
- Memories of the 7th Battalion
- Running Mates
- Engine 32
- Last Alarm
- Tiger Stadium Fire
- To Moosenee and Back
- Memorial Day 2009
- Anatomy of a Fire at a Dangerous Building
- Tales of the Seventh Battalion 25, A Typical 7th Battalion Fire
- Boris the Talking Dog
- Wear and Tear
- Tales of the Seventh Battalion 24, Legends
- Axemen
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 23, Ankie
- Anatomy of a Dwelling Fire
- A Firefighter's Spring
- Input
- My Running Mate
- The Singing Fireman
- The Right Stuff
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 22, A Desperate Rescue
- 300 Spartans
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 21, Men Who Fight Bears
- At the End of His Rope
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 20, Wolf Warriors
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 19, Motorcycle Maniac
- Career Ending Injuries
- Detroit Loses One of Its Finest
- On Duty Injuries
- Unpractical Jokes
- Dedication in the Fire Service
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 18, Spare Parts
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 17, Passage to Hell
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 16, Gallant Warrior
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 15, Big Ones
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 14, Chicago Lil
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 13, Bridge Fires
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 12, Hot Stuff
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 11, Taco Wars
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 10, Day in Hell
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 9, Engine House Cat
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 8, Finding a Pen
- The Polish Squad
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 7, Wayne Soap
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 6, Junk Yard Goat
- The 1967 Riot in Detroit 3
- Department Legends
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 5, The Fonz
- The 1967 Riot (an entry from Tom Hart)
- The 1967 Detroit Riot
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 4, Howard
- The Buhl Building Fire
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 3, Engine 27
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 2, Roof Rescue
- Tales of the 7th Battalion 1, Explosion
- The worst 7th Battalion Fire
- Fire Incidents
- Beeler's Fog Monster
- Thoughts of a Retired Firefighter
- Dogs of the Realm
- Going to the Dogs
- Firefighter/Lawyer ?
- Moe Tales
- The Legend of Moe
- A POEM: When Brave Men Cry