Name | Christopher Wheatley |
Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
Rank | Firefighter |
Type of Firefighter | Career |
Age Range | 31 to 35 |
Sex | Male |
Date of Birth | 7/7/1979 |
Date of Death | 8/9/2010 |
Cause of Death | Fall |
Nature of Death | Trauma |
Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
Type of Duty | Firefighting operations , Ladder operations |
Incident Name | N/A |
Incident City | Chicago |
Incident State | IL |
Incident Date | 8/9/2010 0:30 |
Incident Location | Public assembly |
Incident Attribute | Fires |
On August 9, 2010, Chicago Fire Department Firefighter/Paramedic Christopher Wheatley of Engine 5/Truck 2, died in the line of duty while fighting a restaurant fire on W. Randolph Street.
The grease fire started in a kitchen ventilation chute, and firefighters attacked the flames from the building’s roof. Wheatley was carrying 75 pounds of firefighting equipment up a fire escape ladder to the roof when he fell 35 feet to the ground below. He was transported to Stroger Hospital, where he succumbed to his fatal injuries.
Funeral services for Wheatley were held at St. John Fisher Church on August 13, and he was interred at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Alsip. Thousands of firefighters from at least twelve states attended the services.
Wheatley had been a paramedic since 2000, and became a firefighter/paramedic in 2008.
Citations:
William Lee, Kristen Schorsch, and Andrew L. Wang, “Chicago firefighter falls from ladder, dies of injuries,” Chicago Tribune, August 9, 2010.
Kara Spak, Sally Ho, Rosemary Sobol, Ben Meyer-Abbott, and Tina Sfondeles, “Fallen firefighter ‘loved the job,” Chicago Sun-Times, August 10, 2010.
Duaa Eldeib, “Thousands mourn Chicago firefighter,” Chicago Tribune, August 13, 2010.
Maudlyne Ihejirika, “Firefighter’s funeral: ‘He loved this city,’” Chicago Sun-Times, August 13, 2010.
Additional Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face201025.html