A firefighter in the south suburb of Matteson died suddenly Friday while responding to a medical emergency, reports CBS Chicago (http://cbsloc.al/1ILaojn)
The 49-year-old firefighter responded to the scene of a Matteson retail store, where a shopper required CPR, Fire Chief Chris Schwalbe said in a prepared statement Friday evening. During the call to render assistance, the 13-year department veteran died.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the firefighter as Mark Zielinski. He previously worked for the Harvey Fire Department.
It wasn’t immediately known what happened to the original medical patient.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration report, Firefighter/Paramedic Zielinski responded to a medical incident for a male who was in cardiac arrest at a local retail store. While performing CPR on the patient, Firefighter/Paramedic Zielinski suffered a medical emergency. A second ambulance was summoned and Firefighter/Paramedic Zielinski was taken to Franciscan St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields where, despite all efforts, Zielinski passed away from a reported cardiac-related injury.
