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Funeral Plans Set for Chicago Firefighter Who Died During Training

Public visitation Thursday precedes a Friday funeral for the veteran engineer.

Overview

  • Visitation is scheduled for Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m. at Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes in Chicago, followed by a 10 a.m. funeral Friday at St. Paul Lutheran Church.
  • Steven Decker, 61, suffered a medical emergency during a training exercise on the North Side and was pronounced dead at Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston.
  • The firefighters union said he had been taking part in a twice-a-year hose test mandated by the department during the drill.
  • Decker was a nearly 30-year member of the Chicago Fire Department and served as a fire engineer with Engine 71 on the Far North Side.
  • His death is the second on-duty loss for the department this year, following the March death of Firefighter Michael Altman.