Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Kevin Reveal |
| Agency | Herrin Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Paid-On-Call (POC) |
| Age Range | 31 to 35 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 12/7/1964 |
| Date of Death | 9/29/1996 |
| Cause of Death | Struck by object |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Firefighting operations , Ventilation operations |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Hurst |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 9/29/1996 21:55 |
| Incident Location | Vacant property |
| Incident Attribute | Structural collapses , Fires |
Incident Summary
On September 29, 1996, Firefighter Kevin Reveal of the Herrin Fire Department died in the line of duty while fighting a fire in Hurst, Illinois.
Shortly before 10PM, the Herrin Fire Department was one of several mutual aid departments that responded to a fire in a vacant building in downtown Hurst. Because the vacant structure was attached to the Hurst Municipal Building, firefighters initially adopted an offensive fire attack, but by 11PM they moved into defensive positions to protect the adjacent municipal building. As firefighters backed away from the vacant building, the eastern wall, which appeared structurally sound to all observers, suddenly collapsed.
Reveal, who had been contributing to ventilation operations by cutting and prying plywood off of window openings, was caught in the collapse of the two-story brick wall, and he suffered severe injuries when he was buried under bricks and other debris. After firefighters pulled him from the rubble, Reveal was transported to Herrin Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Funeral services for Reveal were held at Van Natta Funeral Home on October 3, and he was interred at Herrin City Cemetery. More than 300 firefighters from more than 100 fire departments participated in the funeral procession, and members of the Marion Fire Department staffed the Herrin fire station during the days leading up to Reveal’s funeral.
Reveal, who was previously a member of the Williamson County Fire Protection District and the Lake Egypt Fire Protection District, was survived by his pregnant widow and five children.
Firefighter and Incident Images
