Detroit's Fire Department has been in dire straights for quite a while.
Now, some good news.
Steve Neavling of Motor City Muckraker, who has been closely chronicling the fire department's problems in the past year, reports that long-awaited help is on the way.
He writes:
Beginning this month, about 80 new firefighters will join the thinning ranks. The city plans to begin reopening six companies – Engine 32, Ladder 13, Ladder 14, Ladder 19, Ladder 21 and Ladder 30 – by late this year. And in July, the city expects to get 10 new engines.
“Having new young firefighters is a great boost to the morale of the department,” Commissioner Edsel Jenkins told us. “A number of these young firefighters are EMT or paramedic certified, which is also a great benefit.”
With all that, the headline on Neavling's story reads:
Detroit reveals plan to fix Fire Department, but is it enough?