This from Dan McInerney:
With the announcements recently of the city selling old firehouses, here is an example of the unusual – an old firehouse that became a private residence many years ago. There are but a handful of old firehouses that have been converted into residential occupancies.This is Engine 87’s old house located on 87th street at Escanaba (SE corner). It was built in 1907 and was in service until 1980. It looks to be in pretty good shape for a 106 year old building. It still has red apparatus doors and the “Fire Department” stone inscription is still very much intact. The neighborhood has declined over the years and is not a great place to be after dark, and many of the neighboring buildings haven’t fared as well….
Old CFD house of Engine 87. Dan McInerney photo
#1 by Andrew McCullough on June 15, 2013 - 2:11 PM
Very nice. My grandfather was engineer on engine 87. I think he retired just as it was put out of service.
#2 by Bill Post on June 14, 2013 - 4:07 PM
Engine 87 shared quarters with Squad 5 from mid November 1963 until mid January 1968 when Squad 5 was taken out of service.
High Pressure Wagon 6 shared quarters with Engine 87 from late August 1957 until being taken out of service in late September of 1962. High Pressure Wagon 6 had been located at Engine 46’s house, however they moved when Engine 80 was temporarily relocated to Engine 46’s house.
While Engine 80 moved from Engine 46 to Engine 81 in late June of 1961, High Pressure 6 remained at Engine 87 as Snorkel 6 would be moving into Engine 46’s house in late September of 1961.
Squad 5 was previously located at Engine 72’s old quarters (next door to the current station) but in November of 1963 they had to make room for the 19th Battalion that was relocated there in a south side battalion realignment.
#3 by Bill Post on June 14, 2013 - 3:22 PM
Thanks for running the photo of Engine 87’s old station. While the station itself was taken out of service on June 14th 1980 which was the day that Flying Manpower Squad 1 was taken out of service, Engine 87 itself was taken out of service on October 1st 1969 which is the day that Flying Manpower Squad 1 was put in service.
Engine 87 wasn’t taken out of service to make room for the Flying Squad however. The engine was taken out of service because of cuts in the fire department and Engine 87 was one of the engines to be eliminated.
The consultant study that recommended putting the Flying Manpower Squads in service (in order to back up the 4-man engine and truck companies) had actually recommended that Engine 87 remain in service and have Engine 46 eliminated. Flying Squad 1 was recommended to go in service with Truck 17 instead, however the 1968 study also recommended that a new station be built near 87th and Commercial avenues and that Engine 87 Truck 17, and Ambulance 9 be relocated there. The new station was never built.
That really was besides the point however, as Engine 46 has a very roomy station despite only having two bays. Engine 46 had run with Truck 17 (they ran with a tillered aerial ladder) and the original Snorkel Company 6 when they were running with a 65-foot Snorkel, in addition to Ambulance 9 and at one time a Civil Defense Emergency Squad.
Engine 87’s elimination created a larger gap between Engine 46 and Engines 126 and 72. I wouldn’t blame the consultant however as when he did his original study in 1964 he recommended that Engine 87 be moved a half mile north to near 83rd and Escanaba. The city reduced the fire fighters hours in 1967 by giving them an extra day off, but they also refused to hire more fire fighters to make up for the shortfal, so the manpower was reduced on over half of the engines and trucks. Some companies were eliminated as well. The consultant was just following the city’s orders to advise them on how to run the fire department without adding any more men to the payroll and that’s why the Flying Manpower Squads were created so they could back up the four-man companies.