Firefighter Record
Firefighter Details
| Name | Jeffrey Bergstrom |
| Agency | Stone Park Fire Department |
| Rank | Firefighter |
| Type of Firefighter | Part-time (paid) |
| Age Range | 31 to 35 |
| Sex | Male |
| Date of Birth | 1/18/1970 |
| Date of Death | 4/27/2004 |
| Cause of Death | Vehicle collision , Thrown from vehicle |
| Nature of Death | Trauma |
| Attribute of Death | [not applicable] |
| Type of Duty | Responding to/returning from incident |
Incident Details
| Incident Name | N/A |
| Incident City | Stone Park |
| Incident State | IL |
| Incident Date | 4/27/2004 17:42 |
| Incident Location | Street/Road |
| Incident Attribute | Traffic accidents |
Incident Summary
On April 27, 2004, Jeffrey Bergstrom, a part-time firefighter for the Stone Park Fire Department, was killed in a collision between two fire apparatus while responding to a fire in a neighboring township. Shortly after 5:30 pm, an alarm was raised for a garage fire and three fire departments, including Stone Park, responded to the alarm. While traveling to the fire at around 5:42 pm, the Stone Park fire engine that Bergstrom was riding in entered an intersection and collided with a Northlake Fire Protection District fire engine responding to the same alarm.
The Stone Park fire engine struck the side of the Northlake engine just behind the cab and sent the engine into a 320 degree spin. The Stone Park engine, however, rolled onto its side and the impact threw Bergstrom through the vehicle’s windshield and into the street. The impact crushed the front of the Stone Park fire engine and pinned the driver between the seat and the dashboard. A third Stone Park firefighter experienced minor injuries, as did the three Northlake firefighters from the other engine. All of the firefighters were transported to local hospitals, but Bergstrom was pronounced dead on arrival.
In addition to serving as a part-time firefighter and paramedic for the Stone Park Fire Department, Bergstrom was also a paramedic for Ambulance Company 44 of the Chicago Fire Department. Firefighters and paramedics from both departments joined firefighters from around the country in paying tribute to Bergstrom during a funeral procession through several Chicago suburbs and at a memorial service in Hillside, Illinois. Bergstrom was later cremated and his ashes were buried in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Additional Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200443.html
Firefighter and Incident Images
