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In this episode of CuriosiD, we answer the question:

“What happens to old fire trucks in Detroit?”

Fire trucks are among the most recognizable vehicles on the road. They’re big, red, loud, and built to respond when lives are on the line. But what happens when these machines are retired from service?

WDET listener and Detroit Fire Department cadet Kevin Snook reached out to CuriosiD to find out.

“I have family that are first responders,” Snook told WDET. “My dad was a cop for many years, but I decided to take a different route right out of high school, and that led me to the fire service. I’ve been seeing a lot of different trucks at the stations and started wondering — where do they all go when they’re retired?”

The short answer

There’s no single answer, but the journey of a fire truck after its last alarm can take a few surprising turns.

Fire trucks have deep roots in Michigan’s automotive past

Detroit has long been home to some of the most well-known fire truck brands in the country. That includes Spartan Motors, based in Charlotte, Michigan, and Seagrave Fire Apparatus, which started in Rochester in the 1800s.

“Fredrick Seagrave originally made ladders for apple picking,” said David Egeler, director of operations at the Michigan Firehouse Museum in Ypsilanti. “His equipment became popular, and his business grew so much that he moved into the city in 1881.”

Seagrave later moved to Columbus, Ohio, and now operates out of Wisconsin. It’s the oldest continuously operating fire apparatus manufacturer in the country, and many older rigs in metro Detroit still bear the Seagrave name.

The Michigan Firehouse Museum maintains 15 vintage fire trucks, all in running condition. Some of them still roll out for local parades and events.

“When Michigan won the national football championship and had their parade in Ann Arbor, we took three of our fire trucks,” Egeler says. “Coach Harbaugh, team captains, and staff rode on them.”

Some end up in collections, others are scrapped

There’s a collector’s market for fire trucks, much like classic cars. Egeler says some retired firefighters buy trucks they once worked with, while others look for specific models or brands.

A second life in service of remembrance

One notable exception is a restored 1937 Seagrave safety sedan used by the Detroit Firemen’s Fund Association.

“Traditionally, we’d place a firefighter’s casket on top of a fire engine during funeral processions,” says John Bozich, a trustee with the association. “But modern trucks are too large for that.”

To honor fallen firefighters in a more fitting way, the group restored the 1937 sedan. It looks original from the outside, but inside, it’s a complete rebuild —new engine, wheels, transmission, and frame.

“There were less than 100 made and Detroit bought 93 of them,” says Arnie Nowicki — a retired Detroit fire chief who helped lead the restoration project. “Those apparatus became known world-wide as the Detroit safety sedan.”

The $300,000 restoration, funded through donations and volunteer work, now allows the vehicle to be used for funerals throughout the region.

“Where the hoses used to go in the back, that’s where the casket is placed,” Bozich said. “There’s also room for pallbearers inside.”

Mark Bilancetti, a machinist with the Detroit Fire Department, was one of the first volunteers to help with the restoration and has maintained the vehicle ever since.

“It’s been a labor of love,” Bilancetti said. “We let the firefighter’s children or grandchildren ride up front, ring the bell, step on the siren. It means a lot to families.”

So where do fire trucks go when they retire?

Most are scrapped or sold off, but some live on for decades as museum pieces, collector items, or tools of remembrance.

“It’s easier to celebrate a firefighter’s life when you can take them to their final resting place in something that meant so much,” Bilancetti said.

We want to hear from you! 

Have a question about southeast Michigan’s history or culture?
Send it our way at wdet.org/curiosid, or fill out the form below. You ask, we answer.

More from CuriosiD:

• How did Ann Arbor get its name?
• Does Gen Z know who Bob Seger is?
• What is the oldest bar in Detroit?

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Dozens of so-called “Tesla Takedown” protests took place around the country over the weekend. One such rally took place at Somerset Mall in Troy, where more than 100 demonstrators gathered on the sidewalk outside because of the Tesla store inside.

Organizer Hank Kennedy says the goal of the protest is to get Elon Musk to leave his advisory role in the White House. They hope to hit the world’s richest man in his wallet by discouraging others from doing business with his electric car company, Tesla.

Listen: Tesla Takedown protestors rally outside Somerset Mall

“I do not think he has any conscience in his body,” says Kennedy. “I think the only way he will respond is if he feels some sort of economic pain.”

The stock market price for a share of Tesla has dropped by about 25% in the last month. It’s down 46% since President Trump took office.

Despite that downward trend, the electric vehicle maker is only down about 9% since the November election. Tesla’s value had soared to record highs in December.

Chris from Sterling Heights, who didn’t share his last name, says for him the protests are also about calling out the Trump administration’s policies, on issues like immigration.

“I can’t sit idly by anymore,” he said. It’s become too big of a deal, it’s too important now. If I just sit by on the sideline and just let it happen, I’m part of the problem.”

Kennedy says the group did get some support from passing motorists, who would honk or wave a fist in support.

“We also get some people who flip you the bird,” said Kennedy. “I had some friends of mine…last week somebody threw a cup filled with ice at them. And that’s why I think these charges that we’re violent are so ridiculous.”

There have been incidents of Tesla vandalism nationwide. However, law enforcement groups say those acts have been carried out by individuals and are not largely coordinated.

President Donald Trump’s long-threatened 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico went into effect on Tuesday. Economists warn the tax on goods could be harmful to the U.S. and its trade partners.

The measure was set to be enacted a month ago but was pushed back, as Trump warned neighboring countries to crack down on drug trafficking and illegal immigration — without laying out any specific guidance. Meanwhile, legislation in Washington has given an April deadline for agencies to review trade policies.

Dr. Rob Gillezeau, an assistant professor of economic analysis and policy at the University of Toronto in Canada, told WDET tariffs have the potential to be especially damaging to the auto industry, where parts can cross the border several times during the manufacturing process.

“The Big Three are going to be decimated,” he said. “This feels like a perfectly designed policy by the president to do as much harm to Ontario, and to Michigan, as one could imagine.”

Of the roughly $50 billion in goods that enter Michigan from Canada each year, about 55% is tied to the transportation sector, according to the Canadian Consulate General in Detroit. Gillezeau said the tariffs have the potential to cast the Canadian economy into a recession.

“I suspect it won’t be as deep as the bottom of COVID,” Gillezeau said. “It won’t be as deep as the Great Depression, fingers crossed. It will likely be deeper than every other recession that has happened to the country.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has threatened to turn off electricity exports from Ontario in response to the tariffs, among other steps.

Listen: Canadian economics professor discusses impacts of tariffs on US-Canada relations

Related:

• What are tariffs? And how could they affect consumers?
• Michigan Congresswoman says tariffs on Canadian and Mexican products could crash U.S. auto industry
• Experts: Effect of tariffs on Michigan economy will depend on details