April 5, 2023 On Wednesday, Lt. Jan (Jon) Tchoryk was climbing the stairs on the way to the 27th floor when he collapsed.
Source Firehouse.com News
For the second day in a row, a Chicago firefighter has died in the line of duty.
On Wednesday morning, Lt. Jan (Jon) Tchoryk was climbing the stairs in the high-rise when he collapsed on the 11th floor.
His crew immediately initiated CPR, Fire Commissioner Annette Nance Holt said at a press conference at the hospital where he was rushed after the incident.
With elevators out of service, firefighters had to drag hoses 27 floors. There were no sprinklers on that floor, according to a fire department spokesman.
Tchoryk, who had been with the department since 1997, was an active outdoorsman, an avid motorcyclist and a Navy veteran. His son is a Chicago police officer.
“I can’t tell you how this impacts us, losing two members in two days. As I said yesterday, this job is dangerous and you never know if you’re coming home despite the best training and equipment that we can provide. Please keep his family in your prayers as well as the entire Chicago Fire Department,” the commissioner said.
On Tuesday morning, Chicago Firefighter Jermaine Pelt was killed in a house fire.
Pelt, 49, who also was a registered nurse, a paramedic had recently become an instructor at the fire academy.
Holt added: “Right now, I have two funerals to prepare for, two grieving families and a huge department that is broken…”