IFLODD: Firefighter Memorial


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

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