NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e Sp
October 8, 2025 candgnews.com
Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers
Public safety officers, firefighters train for fires that are too hot to handle
A firefighter emerges from the flashover simulator as firefighters from the Farms and other communities take part in flashover training Sept. 18. Photo by Liz Carnegie
BY K. MICHELLE MORAN kmoran@candgnews.com
FARMS — Firefighters are usually the ones running into a burning building. Just as importantly, though, they need to know when to get out of one. On Sept. 16 and 18, the Grosse Pointe Farms Public Safety Department arranged to have instructors from Oakland Community College train local firefighters and public safety officers how to recognize the signs that a flashover is about to occur and how to prevent one from sparking. As the training organizer, Farms Public Safety Sgt. Mike Ryan, explained, most people in a space where a flashover is occurring will die. “As the fire builds in intensity, it gets to the point where it’s actually igniting the air itself on fire,” Ryan said. See TRAINING on page 8A
GO SPARTANS! FITZGERALD HOMECOMING BRINGS ALUMNI BACK TOGETHER BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
Cheryl and Dave Spurrier met in algebra class at Fitzgerald High School and later married. David is holding the 1970-1971 school ID badge of Cheryl that he keeps in his wallet at all times. Photo by Liz Carnegie
WARREN — Wayne Petree has good memories of his days attending Fitzgerald High School. “It was great here. The atmosphere was great,” he said. “The teachers back then were strict. Once you started knowing them, they were great. They kept us in line. Everyone got along. There was no fighting or anything like that.” He remembers the pep rallies in the gymnasium, attending football games and the homecoming parades. Petree, who graduated in 1971, recalls the excitement during student council elections. “We had banners all over the school and lockers,” he said. “We had the election in the gym. It was so loud, teachers were coming out of their rooms.” Petree and his wife Theresa, a 1974 graduate, were among approximately 62 Fitzgerald High School graduates — some wearing Fitzgerald T-shirts — that attended the school’s Alumni/Homecoming/Family Fun Day Event Sept. 19. See FITZGERALD on page 9A