Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Sidney Brown |
| 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 | 8/9/1983 |
| Cause of Death | Contact/Exposure |
| Nature of Death | Burns |
| Attribute of Death | Smoke inhalation |
| Type of Duty | Search and rescue operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 8/9/1983 15:40 |
| Incident Location | Residential |
| Incident Attribute | Flashovers , Backdrafts , Fires |
Incident Summary
On August 9, 1983, Chicago Fire Department Firefighter Sidney Brown of Engine Company 75 died in the line of duty after responding to a house fire where three children were mistakenly reported to be trapped. Brown typically worked at the fire hydrant during fires, and was usually the last firefighter from his engine to enter a building, but as one of the first firefighters on scene, he and two other firefighters raced into the burning house in search of the children. During his search, Brown opened a bedroom door and exposed a fire smoldering in the bedroom to a rush of oxygen. Brown was badly burned in the subsequent flashover and died from his injuries.
Citations:
Thom Shanker and Fern Schumer, “Fireman hero killed ‘looking for people’,” Chicago Tribune, August 10, 1983.
Firefighter and Incident Images
