| Name | Willard Christoffer |
| Agency | Western Springs Fire Department |
| Rank | Recruit/Candidate/Probationary |
| Type of Firefighter | Paid-On-Call (POC) |
| Age Range | 51 to 55 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 5/14/2001 |
| Cause of Death | Fall |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Aerial apparatus operations , Ladder operations , Training duties |
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Western Springs |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 5/14/2001 20:10 |
| Incident Location | Training ground |
| Incident Attribute | Training accidents , Aerial apparatus accidents |
On May 14, 2001, Probationary Firefighter Willard Charles Christoffer of the Western Springs Fire Department died in the line of duty during a training exercise. Christoffer climbed a 105-foot aerial ladder for training purposes, but, as he was descending, he fell backward from the ladder from a height of about 65 feet. Christoffer was transported to the hospital, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.