Fire officials say they are remembering a Waukegan Fire Department lieutenant who died in the line of duty 39 years ago while battling a house fire.
The Waukegan Fire Department said on Sunday they were remembering Lt. Franklin Mercer.
Mercer died while battling a house fire in the 700 block of McAlister Street on December 29, 1985.
Mercer had been operating a hose line on the second floor working to extinguish the fire, officials said.
He joined his fire company in an aggressive interior attack after there was a report that children were trapped in the building.
He sustained multiple injuries, which led to his death, after he fell through a floor that was weakened by the fire, officials said.
Representatives from over 63 public safety agencies attended his funeral service to honor him.
Mercer was a 15-year veteran with the Waukegan Fire Department and also served for two years with the Great Lakes Fire Department.
He additionally served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.
Mercer, who left behind a wife and two children, was the first firefighter to die in the line of duty in Waukegan history.