| Name | Lawrence Matthews |
| Agency | Dolton Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 31 to 35 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 6/10/2017 |
| Cause of Death | Stress/Overexertion |
| Nature of Death | Heart attack |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations |
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Harvey |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 6/10/2017 |
| Incident Location | Residential |
| Incident Attribute | Fires |
On June 10, 2017, Dolton Fire Department Firefighter Lawrence Matthews suffered a fatal heart attack in the line of duty.
On June 10, Matthews responded to a fire at a residential trailer home in Harvey. While working to protect nearby exposures, he became ill and collapsed. Matthews was transported to Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Funeral services for Matthews were held at Holy Temple Cathedral Funeral Home in Harvey on June 17, and he was interred at Washington Memory Garden in Homewood. He was survived by his widow, three children and two step children.
Matthews had been a member of the Dolton Fire Department since 2008 and was the recipient of a heart transplant in 2007.
Citations:
“Firefighter fatality report for Lawrence W. Matthews,” U.S. Fire Administration.
Leah Hope, “Widow of Dolton firefighter: ‘He accomplished so much,’” abc7chicago.com, June 13, 2017.
Michael Gallardo, “Dolton firefighter, 36, dies after he collapses at Harvey house fire,” abc7chicago.com, June 12, 2017.