50-year-old a father-figure among firefighters, fire house cook
Chicago firefighter John Anderson is now paralyzed after suffering an injury in a Burnside fire near 90th and Langley last week.John Anderson is now partially paralyzed, but fellow firefighters are banding together to help Anderson and his family with his mounting medical expenses.
"You're not around him very long without laughing about something," Chicago Fire Capt. Chris Steinmetz said. Steinmetz has gotten to know Anderson very well. They're both firefighters working out of a fire station in Burnside. At age 50, Anderson is the oldest among his colleagues. He assumed a father-figure role and took on duties as the fire house cook. "It was one of the best things about being here, having great meals every day. He was outstanding all the time," Steinmetz said.On Friday night, the firefighters responded to a house fire at 90th Street and Langley Avenue, and Anderson was outside when a large object fell on him."We had just come back from a fire just before this one. So, we were just working with each other. And then, in the blink of an eye, things change," Steinmetz said.Both have carried on the family tradition of being firefighters. "His brother, father, grandfather, uncle, cousins all served in the fire department. His grandfather actually died in the line of duty in 1962," Steinmetz said."He's in great spirits; he was joking around. He was back to old John pretty much," Steinmetz said.
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