Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Jerry Tesar |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 41 to 45 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 10/26/1927 |
| Cause of Death | Contact/Exposure |
| Nature of Death | Electrocution |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Aerial apparatus operations , Firefighting operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 10/26/1927 |
| Incident Location | Store/Office |
| Incident Attribute | Aerial apparatus accidents , Fires |
Incident Summary
On October 26, 1927, Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Jerry Tesar of Water Tower 1 died in the line of duty while fighting a 4-11 alarm fire in a commercial building on West Randolph Street. Tesar was operating the controls of the water tower to reposition it when the metal frame of the apparatus came into contact with a charged electrical trolley line. Electricity surged through the apparatus, electrocuting Tesar and throwing him from the vehicle. Efforts to revive Tesar were unsuccessful, and he died at a local hospital. Electricity continued to surge through the water tower apparatus until a firefighter with heavy gloves was able to turn the apparatus away from the live wire.
Citation:
“$100,000 Fire Costs Life of Lieut. Tesar,” Chicago Daily Tribune, October 27, 1927.
Firefighter and Incident Images
