CFD firefighter/paramedic Patrick King

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Memorial for Chicago Firefighters

Feb 13

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History | 3 Comments

Twenty-five years ago, Anthony Lockhart and Patrick King died in a four-alarm fire in the South Side neighborhood of Beverly.

On Sunday, friends and family remembered the two fallen heroes.

An auto repair shop caught fire in 1998. The building collapsed as the fire escalated quickly. Fire officials at the time said there was only substantial smoke coming out.

That was before it got much worse with flames bursting out. As crews escaped, they realized Lockhart and King never made it out. Their colleagues are now left with vivid memories of them.

A park on South Western was built and named after King and Lockhart.

It’s a memorial that people pass by every single day. Loved ones remember the two heroes every time they see it.

Lockhart’s family said they’re appreciative of the Chicago Fire Department for its commitment to never forget. And, King’s wife said it’s a loss that changed their family forever, but moments like Sunday’s in this community keep her going.

Tags: Beverly Tire Store fire in Chicago killed two firefighters, CFD FF patrick King and Anthony Lockhart, CFD firefighter Anthony Lockhart, CFD firefighter/paramedic Patrick King, Chicago Firefighter Anthony Lockhart, chicagoareafire.com, firefighter memorial in Chicago, Rev. Thomas Mulcrone chaplain of the Chicago Fire Department

Chicago park dedicated to fallen firefighters

Feb 14

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 3 Comments

Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune:

On Thursday morning, Firefighter/Paramedic Patrick King and Firefighter Anthony Lockhart – who died fighting a fire on Feb. 11, 1998 – were recalled at the scene of their deaths. They died fighting a fire in the Beverly Tire Store when the roof collapsed. That site is now home to a park named for the men and that’s where the King Lockhart Memorial Statue was dedicated on a bitterly cold morning.

King’s widow, Gina … her thoughts are seldom far from what happened that night at 10615 S. Western Ave. “It seems like it happened last month. Time, they say, heals all wounds. That’s not true,” said Gina, who still wears a necklace bearing a smaller version of her husband’s badge, No. 1407.

(Jose M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago called the statue and park reminders “that despite the training and the best equipment available at the time, things can go wrong and do go wrong. This is a dangerous job. We strive to have everyone go home safely. It doesn’t always work out that way. Some described this fire as a routine alarm, but we in the fire service know nothing is routine in this job. There are many places in this city where firefighters lost their lives. This land is unique because it became a park.”

… the park has walking paths and a couple benches – along with bronze boots where each man’s body was found –

The statue by sculptor Marshall Svendsen serves as “a reminder of what firefighters and paramedics are all about. It’s not about them, it’s about others,” said the Rev. Thomas Mulcrone, chaplain of the Chicago Fire Department.