U.S. Calls for Safety Improvements Following Death of Firefighter Christopher Wheatley

A federal report released this month calls on the Chicago Fire Department to review its training and firefighting policies following the fatal fall of firefighter/paramedic Christopher Wheatley last year.

Wheatley, a Lemont native, was carrying heavy equipment up a fire escape during a West Loop blaze Aug. 9 when he fell 53 feet to his death. He was 31 years old.

Following his death, an investigation was conducted by the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, which is part of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The final report, which was published June 2 on the NIOSH website, analyzed the decisions made by Wheatley and other fire personnel and made several recommendations for improving safety.

Among the recommendations were improvements to firefighter training and the enforcement of standard operating guidelines, especially in roof operations and high-risk situations.

According to the report, the Chicago Fire Department did not have a formal policy on using fire escapes at the time of Wheatley's death. However, there was an "unwritten policy" to use them only as a last resort.

In response to the report, Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff issued a statement to the Chicago Tribune.

"The death of a member is a tragic loss not only to his family, but the department as a whole," he said. "We must learn all we can from this and any line of duty death as we work to ensure that we minimize the chance for such loss of life in the future. We owe our fallen member nothing less."

Wheatley's mother, Christopher Wheatley, learned of the report Wednesday. She was encouraged by the steps taken both by the Chicago Fire Department and the NIOHS to prevent future accidents, she said.

"There were mistakes made the day Christopher died," Mary Wheatley said. "I have talked about the decisions made that day with the department. I don't blame them.

"I know Christopher, and I know he was a sensible guy. I think he thought he could carry the equipment. He was doing what he thought was right."

Wheatley said she hopes the report will help fire departments implement stronger safety measures and guidelines in the future.

"No matter where the firefighters are from, there's a brotherhood," she said. "I can only hope that departments across the country, not just in Chicago, learn from what happened so no family has to go through what we've gone through."

For more on Christopher Wheatley, see the following articles: