Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Richard Halverson |
| Agency | Chicago Fire Department |
| Rank | Truckman |
| Type of Firefighter | Career |
| Age Range | [Unknown] |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 0/0/0 |
| Date of Death | 3/26/1892 |
| Cause of Death | Fall , Contact/Exposure , Struck by object |
| Nature of Death | Trauma , Burns |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations , Ventilation operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Chicago |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 3/26/1892 20:0 |
| Incident Location | Industry/ Manufacturing |
| Incident Attribute | Structural collapses , Fires |
Incident Summary
On March 26, 1892, Chicago Fire Department Truckman Richard Halverson of Truck 19 died in the line of duty after he was injured while fighting a fire at the Cribben and Sexton Stove Foundry on Erie Street.
Firefighters responded to the fire alarm at the foundry shortly after 8PM, and Halverson joined another firefighter on the roof of the three-story building to help tear away shingles to give fire hoses access to the intense interior flames. When the front wall of the building suddenly collapsed and brought down a portion of the roof, Halverson fell into the burning building. The other firefighters did not immediately realize Halverson was missing, and when they found him he was severely burned and pinned down by a heavy rafter. Halverson was still alive when he was freed from the rubble, and he was transported to Alexian Brothers Hospital where he died from his injuries.
A five year veteran of the fire department, Halverson was survived by his wife and six children.
Citations:
“Killed at a Fire,” Chicago Daily Tribune, March 27, 1892.
Firefighter and Incident Images
