Chicago Firefighter Steven Decker funeral: City mourns loss of veteran

CHICAGO - Family, friends and fellow first responders will gather Friday morning on the Northwest Side to honor fallen Chicago firefighter Steven Decker, who died during a training exercise earlier this month.

Steven Decker funeral

What we know:

Funeral services for Decker are scheduled for 10 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church. They will be live-streamed in the media player at the top of this story.

Decker, an engineer with the Chicago Fire Department, died May 14 after suffering what officials described as a medical emergency during an annual equipment test near the 6600 block of North Kedzie Avenue.

Steven M. Decker | CFD

Department officials said Decker served with CFD for nearly 30 years. Ald. Debra Silverstein later identified him as a member of Engine 71.

What they're saying:

In a statement following his death, Silverstein called Decker’s passing a "devastating loss" for the department and the city.

"Engineer Steven Decker of our local Engine 71 lost his life in service to our city," Silverstein said. "His sacrifice will never be forgotten."

Following the incident, emergency vehicles escorted Decker from St. Francis Hospital to the Cook County medical examiner’s office in a solemn procession that brought traffic to a standstill along parts of the North Side.

Tributes go up for Chicago firefighter who died during training exercise

Chicago is paying its respects to Steven Decker, a 30-year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department, who died during a training exercise Thursday on the North Side.

At Foster and Western avenues, firefighters with Truck 12 raised a ladder over the roadway as first responders and residents paused to pay tribute.

Officials have not released additional details about the training exercise, which took place in a parking lot near Park 538 in the city’s 50th Ward. The exact cause of Decker’s death remains under investigation.