East Side firehouse Engine 52 was the grand winner in the Maxwell House’s Spruce Up Your Firehouse national contest. The firehouse used the $10,000 prize money to renovate their 80-year-old dorm room.
The firehouse faced some tough competition from the other finalist, Ladder 18 Engine 44, also in Detroit, but won the contest after receiving the most votes in a close race.
The firehouse worked with designer Erika Baker, of Urban Alterscape, to help fix up the dormitory. Capt. Michael Gallo specifically wanted some partitions to help with privacy for the co-ed firehouse.
The firehouse now has new floors, a fixed ceiling and walls and four-foot-tall partitions for the 2,000-square-foot dormitory. New electrical work will also help out the lighting situation of the room.
“I thought someone was pulling our chain when I first saw the contest,” said Gallo. “But it was worth a try.”
Source: Captain Michael Gallo, Detroit Fire Department, Erika Baker, Urban Alterscape
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