The last moments of Chicago firefighter Jermaine Pelt and Lt. Jan Tchoryk’s lives were more than isolated heroic tales. Both men had been running into burning buildings and putting others’ lives before their own for years.
Pelt was a 17-year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department. He was a registered nurse, a paramedic and an instructor at the fire academy. His fellow firefighters remember him as “the kindest person” at work and a great firehouse cook. Recently, he proudly walked his 28-year-old daughter down the aisle to get married.
