Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Edmund Gillmeister |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Engineer |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 56 to 60 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 9/3/1965 |
| Cause of Death | Stress/Overexertion |
| Nature of Death | Heart attack |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 9/3/1965 |
| Incident Location | Industry/ Manufacturing |
| Incident Attribute | Fires |
Incident Summary
On September 3, 1965, Chicago Fire Department Engineer Edmund Gillmeister of Engine 55 suffered a fatal heart attack while battling an extra alarm fire at the Herman Hettler Lumber Company on Elston Avenue. The fire started when gasoline being pumped into an underground 1,000-gallon storage tank caught fire, spreading flames to a three-story lumber storage building and several smaller lumber sheds. Because of the large amount of combustible materials on site, more than forty fire apparatus responded to the blaze, and the firefighters successfully contained the fire.
A member of the department for twenty-three years, Gillmeister was stricken during firefighting operations and was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Four days later, mass was held for Gillmeister at the Our Lady of Victory Church.
Citations:
“Fireman Dies During Blaze, Flames Are Started in Gas Tank,” Chicago Tribune, September 4, 1965.
“Mass for Fireman Is Scheduled Tuesday,” Chicago Tribune, September 5, 1965.
Firefighter and Incident Images
