Firefighter/EMT Michael Altman died after falling through a collapsed floor while battling a fire

CHICAGO — Funeral services for fallen Chicago Firefighter/EMT Michael Altman were postponed after his widow went into labor, officials announced. The services had been scheduled for March 27.

WGN reported that a new date for the services has not yet been announced.

| SURVEY: What Firefighters Want in 2026: Training

Altman was among the firefighters who responded to a fire behind a four-story building in the 1700 block of West North Shore Avenue on March 16. During the fire, he fell through a collapsed floor, Deputy District Fire Chief Kelly Burns told reporters at the scene.

Sheaves Slate has been charged with murder, residential arson and aggravated arson causing injury to a firefighter in connection with the fire and was ordered held in custody during a court hearing.

Altman, a fourth-generation firefighter who had been with the Chicago Fire Department for nearly two years, is survived by his young son and wife. At the time of his death, his wife was just days away from giving birth to their second child.

Bodycam video shows Allentown firefighters rescuing trapped residents from second-floor windows

PFD Assistant Chief Jeff Schripsema shares a powerful story highlighting the department’s commitment to its members

March 25, 2026 02:20 PM

 · 

The agency is again accepting applications for its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program after a court order, but new rules could make it harder for smaller communities to compete for funding

More than 230 FDNY and EMS personnel responded to the four-alarm blaze in an illegally subdivided building, where occupants jumped from windows as fire spread rapidly

$50,000 in fire department grants and 350 pancake breakfast fundraiser kits will be awarded