Funeral Assistance Services
When a department faces the difficult task of honoring a member who has died, there may be many questions about what to do. The Illinois Fire Chiefs Funeral Committee will guide you and assist with plans. Primary consideration must be given to the family’s feelings and desires along with past or future practices of the department.
This guide defines different levels of honor and appropriate options. We recommend that departments adopt their own funeral protocol, prior to needing it, in order to create consistency.
The department policy should support the family’s wishes within the guidelines. The family may choose to lessen some of the honors used; however, they should not influence increasing the "level of honor."
The Illinois Fire Chiefs Funeral Committee is always available to answer questions or assist in funeral matters. There are no fees for this assistance. We can also provide you with suggested fire service funeral guidelines.
Contact Funeral Committee
The funeral committee can be contacted 24 hours a day through the main office number at 847-966-0732.
For more information, send email to info@IllinoisFireChiefs.org.
We take for granted the great public service firefighters provide on a daily basis and all too often forget the danger it entails.
~ Iain Gray
(consider completing this for all Firefighters)
Definitions
- Line-of-Duty – the death must be the result of a traumatic injury suffered in the line of duty.
- Job Related Traumatic Injury – a blow to the body by an outside force, i.e., crushing injuries suffered in a building collapse, apparatus accident or fall. Burns, smoke inhalation and such climactic injuries as heatstroke or frostbite are considered traumatic injuries.
- Job Related Non-Traumatic Injuries – a nontraumatic injury that is strongly believed or has been proven to be attributable to the job. Examples are: stress, heart attacks, strokes, diseases and mental illness (suicide).
- Active member – a full-time member or volunteer member of fire or EMS services in an active capacity.
- Inactive – a retired, former, or pensioned member of a fire or EMS service.
- Affiliate Member – an individual who has served in some capacity with the department, such as a commissioner, trustee, dispatcher etc.
- Non-Job Related Death – natural or traumatic deaths that are not fire or EMS duty related.
Levels of Honor
- Line-of-duty or job-related death. This may include an inactive member whose death was the result of an injury sustained during active duty.
- Death of an active member – not job related.
- Death of an inactive member – not job related, or death of an affiliate member.
| Options for Each Level |
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2 |
3 |
| American Flag (only for armed services veteran) |
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| Badge Shrouds |
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| Bagpipers |
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| Bell Service |
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| Bugler |
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| Color Guard |
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| Crossed Ladders |
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| Eulogy |
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| Fire Engine Caisson |
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| Fire Service Flag |
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| Flower Unit |
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| Hearse |
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| Honor Guard |
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| Honor Detail |
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| Pallbearers |
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• |
* |
| ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER |
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| Station Bunting |
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| Vehicle Bunting |
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| Walk-through |
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* Honorary