This from reader:
I snapped the attached photo during a visit to Gary this past summer. The station in the picture is a former fire station, #10 I believe that was damaged in a flood several years ago. Sadly it has been abandoned and left to rot. A sad display of the total mismanagement of that city. The living conditions inside some of the other stations are pretty bad too. Vehicle breakdowns are a matter of routine and there are few if any spare rigs. Their story needs to be spread so that the media gets involved and tries to get some answers from the Mayor and fire chief. They are co-conspirators in the mismanagement of that department.
Vacant fire station in Gary, IN.
#1 by GFD213 on October 9, 2014 - 6:02 PM
Despite all that they have been through, these guys were still kind enough to pull the truck out for photos. They are great guys that are treated like crap. I have had the honor to work with them on mutual aid in both of our towns. In my opinion, these guys are on the same level as the CFD and the FDNY.
#2 by Tom Foley on October 8, 2014 - 11:43 PM
Here is a recently posted video that might be of interest: http://youtu.be/P5bWeihukgg
#3 by GFD213 on October 8, 2014 - 6:20 PM
Denny, You couldn’t have said it better. The so called leaders of this town should be ashamed of themselves for what they did to this great fire department.
#4 by Dennis on October 8, 2014 - 8:05 AM
The last time I was in Gary to photograph the rigs was around the early part of either 2001 or 2002. I shot Engine 3 at their station with the then new Ferrara. My good friend was an Asst. Chief with Gary at the time and did a great job(along with the fire chief and others)in getting the Fire Dept. back to what I would consider the best it’s been since it was formed. Its very sad to see all their hard work go down the tubs in short amount of time.
#5 by GFD213 on October 7, 2014 - 6:38 PM
Guys, despite some of the negative comments here, the GFD is a great bunch of guys and gals. They are always willing to bring the trucks out for photos. Gary is pretty safe in the day time. I have never had a problem shooting rigs there. It’s like shooting in Chicago.
Be safe!
#6 by GFD213 on October 7, 2014 - 6:33 PM
Erik, I know that you don’t work there. Like me, we are there a lot and see things. The out of service ladders are parked in stations to give the illusion that they have equipment that is in service. The new mayor has been a major disappointment. Her greatest accomplishment of her first year in office, was the demolition of the Sheraton Hotel. It is finally being torn down 3 years later. By the way, I saw squad one today near station 7. It was running out of engine 13. Squad 3 that was at station one is the one that had the accident. It had rear compartment damage, but was still in service. I would love to know what the rig is with 4 on the fenders at the shops.
Be safe!
#7 by Eric Haak on October 7, 2014 - 5:53 PM
Also wondering what exactly is wrong with station 5? How bad are the conditions inside that it had to be closed?
#8 by CrabbyMilton on October 7, 2014 - 5:52 AM
Sad is an understatement. Funny how so many cities always seem to find money for the stupid stuff or things that they have no business being involved with in the first place. But core functions are cut first. But then again, you have to remember that these problems don’t transpire over night.
#9 by Jim on October 6, 2014 - 9:12 PM
This is our wonderful former Station 10. After the flood the city was given more than enough money from FEMA to fix this station but obviously never did anything useful with that money I’m sure you are all very surprised by this. Another atrocity that is currently being forced upon us is our state of the homeless shelter that is Station 5. We are running out of a Calumet Township homeless shelter where the homeless are treated better than we are. There is a banquet hall directly under our living quarters where we have to listen to parties on the weekends that go till 2am with music being played so loud the beds literally bounce with the bass. We probably have all of about 750 sq. ft. of living space and our bathroom is directly in the middle of our kitchen so when your taking a shit you can continue to cook your breakfast. As the icing on the cake our rig is in a garage that is across a parking lot from our living area so when we get a run we have to run down stairs and then run across a parking lot to get to our rig and not only is this homeless shelter I mean station not in our district we are not even in the city. Only in Gary is shit like this possible nowhere else in the civilized world would this be allowed to be a firehouse but our Chief doesn’t care as long as she continues to make her 6 figure salary and we all know that our Mayor couldn’t give a shit.
#10 by Bill C. on October 6, 2014 - 8:26 PM
AS for the SCRAP rigs that are missing , there was an auction last month that had a numerous amount of gary police ,fire/ amb & PW junk up for bid . they had 7 days to remove it all – that would be why things are missing .
#11 by Jim on October 6, 2014 - 6:40 PM
They have 4 chiefs on duty for 8 suppression companies?
#12 by Eric Haak on October 6, 2014 - 6:08 PM
While I was in Gary this past weekend, I noticed that all of the OOS engines that were sitting outside of the building on the other side of the baseball stadium are now gone. Also, there were three trucks that were sitting in the lot with the squad that was wrecked and they are all gone as well. Don’t know if they sold them for scrap or what. Just interested to hear if anyone knows what they did with them.
#13 by Taylor L on October 6, 2014 - 11:58 PM
I saw them moving those fire trucks that were left by the building by the baseball stadium Sunday.
#14 by Erik H on October 6, 2014 - 5:50 PM
GFD213, just to be clear I don’t work there, but I’ll try to give you some answers. Today at the morning radio check only ambulances 401, 405, and 407 were running. And I believe 405 is out of station 4. As for station 4s engine it’s actually lettered eng3 and is the first available rig loaned out. They aren’t running today so it’s probably at another station. The second mini squad was totaled this summer, I think it was hit while parked at a scene. I don’t know the situation with the ALF, but truck 13 and tower 7 have been out for a while getting worked on and may return sometime. Today has trucks 1&2 and engines 5,7,8,12,&13 and squad 3 with chiefs 4,7,8,&10. Medic 400 and a division chief. Squad 2 was also missing this morning.
#15 by westside on October 6, 2014 - 8:42 PM
ERIC H. -The second mini squad is not totalled. ..
#16 by Robert on October 6, 2014 - 5:29 PM
I see where Martin’s coming from but Martin don’t invest in Gary now. Wait a bit longer.
#17 by GFD213 on October 6, 2014 - 5:25 PM
Erik, Are there 2 ambulances running out of station 4. I haven’t seen a engine there the last few times that I have drove past there. I see the lemon tower ladder is at station 2. I also noticed that the field com unit and the broke down ALF ladder are parked at Station 1. Ladder 13 is back, but I don’t know if it runs. One of the mini squads is at 7, but I haven’t seen the other one for over a month now. They cleaned up all the scrap that was at the shops. Do you know what the truck is that is parked inside? It has the number 4 on both front fenders. And Martin, save your money!
#18 by TC on October 6, 2014 - 2:04 PM
This is what happens when 90+ percent of the populationof a given area lives off governement subsidies and government handouts. Can’t maintain city services when no one pays taxes. Can’t get new people / businesses to come into a city that is gang infested and run down. Just another Detroit.
#19 by Martin Nowak on October 6, 2014 - 1:08 PM
I’ll buy it for $1 from Gary. If they do that.
#20 by Erik H on October 6, 2014 - 8:17 AM
It was damaged in the fall of 2008 and has been closed since. The last engine assigned there was a 1990 Peirce Arrow. It was used as a spare until mechanical and pump issues put it o.o.s. Stations 3, 5 (engine 5 continues to run out of a calumet township building), 6, 9(now used for prompt ambulance), and 10 are most likely prememantly closed. 11 was closed until Amb 407 moved into it. It is ambulance only, no fire apparatus.