Box 42 was formed on April 24, 1942 by a group of Detroit Fire Department Auxiliary Firemen at Engine Company 42 and Ladder Company 21 located at 6324 W. Chicago @ Livernois in the 5th Battalion. The name was chosen in respect and tribute to the Firefighters of Engine Company 42, who unselfishly devoted their time and experience to training members of the auxiliary force.

Upon being phased out at the end of World War II, the auxiliaries decided to keep Box 42 alive and dedicated their services to assisting the Detroit Fire Department in various ways. Our members have always stood ready to assist the department in any capacity. One of our most visible accomplishments was the restoration of old Engine 13, a 1908 Ahrens horse drawn steam pumper, a job which took more than two and a half years. This old timer was proudly displayed at parades, musters and the annual Fireman's Field Day, and is a favorite of the crowds. Sadly, the rig now sits gathering dust with several other antiques in the Repair Shop Annex building behind the Roma Cafe near the Eastern Market area.

Another project that our members completed was the cleaning and restoration of the former quarters of Engine 11 at Gratiot and Grandy. Our members performed general cleaning, plastering and wall patching, and complete repainting of the two bay quarters from top to bottom. While once the official home of the Detroit Fire Department Museum, the museum was closed and the building stands boarded up. During it's time as the DFD museum, the Engine house shined from floor to ceiling, the brass pole polished and gleaming, as if the trial men of many years ago had just completed their daily housekeeping  tasks. We also performed the same work at the quarters of the Fireboat, located on the Detroit Riverfront at the foot of 24th street, just West of the Ambassador Bridge. And, somewhere back in the late 1960's to early 70's, our members painted from stem to stern the Fireboat John Kendall, now retired and replaced by the Curtis J. Randolph. 

Among the various ways we aided the DFD, certain (lucky!) Box 42 members would be issued one of the old "lunch pail" radios, a General Electric Portamobile radio that resembled in size a metal lunch box, and patrol the streets in our personal cars during 'Devil's Night', the night before Halloween, now known to Detroiters as "Angels Night". Our mission was to respond to any street boxes that were pulled and verify the need for the fire department. Central Office would call the unit assigned to a Battalion's area and request they check the intersection or area for signs of fire. Several of our members would assist the C.O.staff by answering telephones, replenishing the tape used in the Gamewell telegraph system and record keeping during this extremely busy annual event. As the street box system was phased out, eliminating the source of hundreds of malicious false alarms, the little "goblins" of our city escalated their Devils Night activity. As dozens, (hundreds, maybe) of trash, leaf piles, automobiles and dumpster fires were ignited, and fought by weary companies, it was only a taste of things to come.

In later years our citizens found Devils Night a great opportunity to hone their arson skills, from garages and sheds to vacant and occupied dwellings, apartments, stores, whatever-the structures were burned throughout the city. Thanks to the arsonists, Detroit became a center of world-wide media attention. No other city in America experienced the senseless, wanton disregard of human life and property shown by the criminals who continued this assault year after year.

It was a buff's Mecca!

Running from working fire to working fire, multiple, multiples! Dwellings, garages, commercial buildings "GOING" with NO fire companies on scene! Pleading radio requests for a box alarm assignment or one engine or even a truck company go unanswered...several occupied dwellings fully involved, the residents fighting valiantly with a garden hose, attempting to quell a blaze that would take an extra engine on the box just to knock the fire down.  A middle home, nicely painted, curtains covering windows showing the interior kept up, the occupants obviously working hard to maintain what little they have. The two vacant houses on either side fully involved, with Central Office telling the lone ladder company; you'll have to go to work on it, the closest engine is coming from the furthest battalion away. These occupants, shown as the lead story on the next morning's news, sobbing, why us? Why our house? And story after story of arson. Year after year. Stores with apartments above, occupied markets, portable classrooms at schools all targets. Extension to the garages in the alley. Detroit Edison or Public Lighting Commission wires down, arcing brilliantly through the smoke. Gas meters burned off, the blue flame licking up thru the collapsed rubble of a home now on the ground. Houses on the next block smoking from the radiated heat. And still no help.

It happened over and over for years! Buffs and the news media from around the country and even other continents were coming to Motown to report on and experience this phenomena. Many buffs went to work assisting FEO's (fire engine operators) with the soft suction, stretching the bundle, whatever it took to help the weary. Some buffs carried 2-1/2 gallon water cans in their cars and extinguished rubbish and dumpster fires and even the Molotov cocktail just thrown into a vacant house. A buffs help in manning a Rockwood nozzle, safely back from the building, when there was just a single company on the scene was welcomed, appreciated and made that buff's night for sure.

As the city reeled from the publicity and public outcry, steps were taken to reduce and eliminate the arson wave that occurred each night on the day before Halloween. Fortunately, the city has all but eliminated the arson sprees (according to the Mayors office spin) and the city enjoys a quiet night with near normal fire runs recorded. 

In recent years, following the blitz to quell the arson, Box 42 members stood watch over quarters vacated by companies assigned to "task forces", where numerous companies mustered at a quarters within a battalion and remained there, responding in rotation. The units first out on a run went to the rear of the line, allowing rest and ability for the crews to eat and take necessary relief. Prior to the task force implementation, companies left quarters on the first run of the evening, perhaps at 5:00 or 6:00 PM and sometimes NEVER returned thru the night. IF they were lucky, they whipped into quarters for a quick break and placed themselves in service, ready for the next box. Central Office staff loved them for it. They too were besieged.

Today, Box 42 exists mainly as a group of enthusiasts who share an interest in anything fire related; from historical photographs, station house journals, badges, patches and insignia to building scale models of fire apparatus, fire and apparatus buffing and monitoring public safety radio communications. Present day buffing has evolved from following the water trail from the leaking apparatus booster reel tank as it sped to the fire scene, to the current use of digital still and video cameras, some capable of sending the images live, much like the news media, to subscribers anywhere. With cutting edge digital scanning radios, subscriptions to paging providers who give virtually real time information on breaking public safety action, and numerous internet sites catering to fire fighting, and public safety, our hobby has entered a high-tech world never envisioned by the old timers.

Our meetings, held once a month at fire houses throughout the metro Detroit area, are open to anyone who would like to indulge in the presence of fellow "fire geeks" and it brings our members together to share camaraderie, photos, departmental scuttlebutt and a love of the fire service. A yearly tradition of a dinner dance and a summer picnic all serve as an opportunity for our families to meet and enjoy new friendships. Buff, volunteer/paid on call F/F, IAFF member, whoever, you're welcome to apply for membership in Box 42. All you need bring is $ 36 bucks, an interest in the fire service and you can join the strongest and most active fire buffing group remaining in Detroit.

A few quick facts regarding Box 42 and our history...

Current Officers of Box 42
     President: Kyle Wilkinson
     Vice President: George Valrance
     Secretary/Treasurer: Dan Jasina
     Immediate Past President: Doug Arbour

Membership
     Two Life members
     Ten Honorary members
     Seventeen Active members
     Nineteen Associate members

Membership is open to anyone. Our members come from all walks of life; active and retired firefighters, public safety personnel, buffs, photography fans, historical interests, you name it. Our members reside throughout the metro Detroit area, and our association with so many different fire departments and related agencies allow us to rotate our monthly meetings to give most everyone a chance to attend a meeting close to them. Usually light refreshments are served immediately following, and we solicit any type of fire service related material, be it  video, slide, audio recordings, photo albums, whatever, to be enjoyed by all afterwards.

Dues for our 13 original members were established at twenty-five cents per month! Talk about cheap entertainment!

Our current dues are $ 36.00 per year, which funds our newsletter and our annual summer picnic.  Our Box 42 Newsletter is distributed to every DFD quarters and division, as well as many suburban departments. Our staff confirms the details of each monthly breakdown of the multiple alarm and notable fire statistics.

Box 42 held their 60th Anniversary meeting Friday April 19, 2002 at our birthplace, Detroit Fire Department Engine 42 and Ladder 21's quarters.

A framed copy of the 60th Anniversary certificate was presented by Box 42 President Robert Mcadow to newly appointed DFD General Manager Weylan Gilden, who was representing Commissioner Tyrone Scott. G.M. Gilden in turn, handed the plaque to the senior company officer of Engine 42/Ladder 21, who proudly proclaimed that it would be displayed among the quarter's most prized possessions and other significant memorabilia.

An additional presentation copy was given to Commissioner Scott, during the annual Box 42 picnic.

The certificate can be seen on the 60th Anniversary Certificate page.

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