Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | John Dowling |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 31 to 35 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 5/8/1949 |
| Cause of Death | Fall |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Ladder operations , Training duties |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 5/8/1949 |
| Incident Location | Training ground |
| Incident Attribute | Training accidents |
Incident Summary
On May 8, 1949, Chicago Fire Department Firefighter John Dowling of Hook and Ladder 3 died in the line of duty after he was injured during a training exercise. The truck company was training outside of the firehouse on West Erie Street when Dowling fell off a ladder.
This accidental death prompted some citizens to criticize such training exercises, but the fire department defended the importance and necessity of fire service training for maintaining an effective and efficient fire department.
Citations:
“Injuries Fatal,” Chicago Daily Tribune, May 9, 1949.
“Worse Than Fighting Fires,” Chicago Daily Tribune, May 18, 1949.
“Haberkorn Defends Drills as Necessary to Firemen’s Work,” Chicago Daily Tribune, May 19, 1949.
Firefighter and Incident Images
