A member of the Chicago Fire Department tragically lost their life during a training exercise on the city’s North Side, according to an announcement made by the department on Thursday.
Note: The video above is from a previous report.
“The Chicago Fire Department grieves the passing of a dedicated firefighter who served for 30 years and died in a training exercise today,” stated the department. “Plans for a procession to the Medical Examiner’s Office are currently underway.”
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The incident occurred during a training session in the 6600 block of North Kedzie Avenue, as reported by the department.
The firefighter was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where they were pronounced deceased, confirmed officials from the Chicago Fire Department.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the fallen firefighter as 61-year-old Steven Decker.
The president of Chicago Firefighters – Local 2, Erik Steinmetz, said the training exercise was in a twice-a-year mandated hose testing.
“We have to roll, unroll the hose. We have to empty all the water out of the hose,” Steinmetz said. “There’s a lot of listing and moving and everything. It’s, it’s a lot more strenuous than it would sound.”
An ambulance carrying Decker’s body was later escorted by colleagues in a more than 10-mile procession to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, where first responders stood at attention, saluting his service and sacrifice.
Decker, a 30-year CFD veteran, was assigned to Engine 71 on the North Side and was widely respected by colleagues.
“One of those guys that, we all have them, that are… they know everything about the apparatus that they work on,” Steinmetz said. “Just has everything diligently set and ready to go. That’s the kind of guy he was.”
No further information about Decker’s cause of death was immediately available.
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