| Name | William Miller |
| Agency | Blue Mound Community Rural Fire Protection District |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Volunteer |
| Age Range | 21 to 25 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 12/6/1983 |
| Date of Death | 10/13/2008 |
| Cause of Death | Stress/Overexertion |
| Nature of Death | Heart attack |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Emergency vehicle operations , Training duties , Water supply operations |
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Blue Mound |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 10/13/2008 20:24 |
| Incident Location | Street/Road , Training ground |
| Incident Attribute | Traffic accidents , Training accidents |
On October 13, 2008, Firefighter William Miller of the Blue Mound Community Rural Fire Protection District suffered a fatal heart attack in the line of duty following a traffic accident during a training exercise.
Miller was driving a tanker truck during a rural water supply training exercise in which firefighters were carrying water from fire hydrants in Blue Mound to a rural drop site. During his second trip to the drop site, a civilian vehicle pulled into the road ahead of Miller’s tanker truck. Miller forcibly applied the brakes, and the tanker truck skidded for more than 400 feet before it overturned.
Miller was extricated from the overturned apparatus within 15 minutes of the accident, but he had already lost consciousness. Paramedics treated Miller at the scene, and he was airlifted to a hospital in Springfield, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Funeral services for Miller were held at First Baptist Church in Ramsey, Illinois, on October 17, and he was interred at Welch Cemetery.
A member of the Blue Mound Community Rural Fire Protection District for two years, Miller was a professional truck driver and a member of the Blue Mound Lions Club.
Additional Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200901.html