Funeral arrangements announced for veteran firefighter who died after equipment test in West Ridge
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Funeral arrangements have been announced for a Chicago firefighter who died after suffering a medical emergency during an annual equipment test on the city's North Side last week.
Steven Decker was a 30-year CFD veteran and engineer and worked for Engine 71 on the city's Far North Side in West Ridge.
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The visitation is set for 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes of Chicago, 6250 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago.
The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 5650 N. Canfield Ave. in Chicago.
CFD said on Thursday that the 61-year-old died after a training exercise in the 6600-block of North Kedzie Avenue.
It happened just after 3 p.m. Thursday. The president of Chicago Firefighters Local 2 says Decker was participating in a twice-a-year mandated hose testing. A fire official told ABC7 they were working in the street at the time.
Decker was rushed to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he died. An ambulance carrying his body was later escorted by colleagues in a more than 10-mile procession to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, where first responders stood at attention, saluting his service and sacrifice.
Decker is the second Chicago firefighter to die while on-duty this year. CFD Firefighter Michael Altman was also killed two months ago while battling a fire in Rogers Park.
