| Name: | Jeffrey Heinz |
| Gender: | Male |
| Agency: | Chicago Fire Department |
| Type of Firefighter: | Career |
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Type of Duty: | Firefighting operations, Ladder operations, Search and rescue operations |
| Type of Award: | Medal of Honor |
| Year of Award: | 1995 |
| Incident City: | Chicago |
| Year of Incident: | 1994 |
| Incident Location Type: | Residential |
| Incident Attribute: | Fires |
Firefighter Jeffrey Heinz of the Chicago Fire Department was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts to rescue victims from a fatal apartment fire in Chicago, Illinois on March 5, 1994.
A deadly fire broke out at 12:45 P.M. at 917 W. Dakin St. in trash bins beneath a stairwell. The fire quickly spread to a four-story apartment building. Seven people, including five members of one family, were killed as a result of the fire, which was set by an evicted tenant. Firefighter Heinz was among the initial wave of first responders. He climbed up a ladder to the fourth floor, where he found a boy hanging from a window ledge. After removing the boy to safety, he entered the fiery apartment and found a young girl hiding in a bathtub. He attempted to remove her from the building but she died before he could.
Citations:
“5 in family, 2 others die in apartment fire—evicted tenant is charged with murder in arson case,” Chicago Tribune, March 21, 1994.
“Man found guilty in ’94 fire that killed 7,” Chicago Tribune, March 15, 1997.