| Name | Joseph Zumwalt |
| Agency | Sheldon District Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Volunteer |
| Age Range | 51 to 55 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 5/6/2007 |
| Cause of Death | Stress/Overexertion |
| Nature of Death | Heart attack |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations |
On May 6, 2007, Firefighter Bruce Joseph Zumwalt of the Sheldon District Fire Department suffered a fatal heart attack in the line of duty while fighting a farm machine storage shed fire.
The shed was fully involved in flames when firefighters arrived on scene, so firefighters positioned themselves to protect an exposure structure. Zumwalt collapsed after operating a hose line outside of the shed for around twenty minutes. Zumwalt was treated at the scene, in an ambulance, and at Iroquois Memorial Hospital in Watseka, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
A member of the fire department for twenty-two years, Zumwalt was a commercial pilot who operated his own crop dusting business.
Additional Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200820.html