Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

“It is our sad duty to report the passing of Chicago Fire Department Office of Fire Investigations Chief Michael V. Murphy,” the department said in a statement.

Murphy, 56, was taking part in an aquatic event at Mount Carmel High School on the South Side with his 16-year-old son when he suffered a massive heart attack.

Murphy joined the department in October of 1996, achieved the rank of deputy district chief, and was named the commanding fire marshal in February of 2015. He headed up the Office of Fire Investigations, in charge of determining the cause and origin of fires in Chicago.

Murphy was the catalyst for the newly passed city ordinance that requires the victims of vehicle fires to report them to the fire and police departments for investigation before any insurance claims are made. The department says that the new law has already been credited for a decrease in fraudulent insurance claims involving car fires.

Murphy leaves his wife Sarah, daughter Clare, and sons John and Will. Funeral arrangements are pending.  Chief Murphy would have turned 57 on July 31.

thanks Dan

Tags: Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Fire Department Office of Fire Investigations Chief Michael V. Murphy, chicagoareafire.com, Chief Michael Murphy, Ende Menzer Walsh and Quinn Retirees’ Widows’ and Children’s Assistance Fund