Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Thomas Vaid |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | 26 to 30 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 2/6/1938 |
| Cause of Death | Struck by object |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations , Ladder operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 2/6/1938 |
| Incident Location | Public assembly |
| Incident Attribute | Structural collapses , Explosions , Fires |
Incident Summary
On February 6, 1938, Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Thomas V. Vaid of Truck 7 died in the line of duty while fighting a fire at Tuley High School on North Claremont Avenue. Fifty-seven fire companies responded to the 5-11 alarm fire, which started in the school’s biology laboratory and destroyed twenty-five other classrooms. Vaid was in an alley placing a ladder against the school when he was struck by bricks and debris that collapsed following an explosion on the building’s third floor.
Funeral services for Vaid were held at St. Genevieve Church on February 9, and he was buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery. He was survived by his widow, parents, and four siblings.
Citations:
“Fire and School Officials Open Inquiry in Blaze,” Chicago Daily Tribune, February 7, 1938.
Obituary of Thomas V. Vaid, Chicago Daily Tribune, February 7, 1938.
Firefighter and Incident Images
