Memorial for Des Plaines fireman to be unveiled

A formal dedication of a memorial rose garden honoring fallen Des Plaines Firefighter Robert Paul Coombs will be held 11 a.m. Sunday, June 5 at Des Plaines Fire Station No. 3, 130 E. Thacker St.

The memorial was built by 16-year-old Max Jacobs, a sophomore at Elk Grove High School and a member of Boy Scout Troop 62, for his Eagle Scout service project.

Coombs was the only Des Plaines fireman in history killed in the line of duty. He died nearly 50 years ago while rescuing two unconscious construction workers from a sanitary sewer filled with methane gas.

After saving the workers, Coombs fell roughly 35 feet down the sewer shaft while trying to climb out. Fellow firemen attempted to hoist him up with a rope, but a second fall killed the 33-year-old firefighter.

Jacobs said he learned about Coombs while working on his fire safety merit badge at Fire Station No. 3. A small sign on the street adjacent to the fire station bears Coombs’ name, the street is named after him, and there is a small plaque honoring him in a building where old fire gear is on display.

Yet, Jacobs wanted to do more to recognize Coombs’ heroism.

The memorial is centered around a large boulder that sits on the lawn facing Thacker Street. It is now flanked with two flagpoles flying the American and Des Plaines city flags and surrounded with unobtrusive split-rail fencing. Rose bushes line the perimeter covered by the fence.

A statue of a fireman looms over the boulder with a simple dedication plaque, and a couple of benches sit nearby.

A large sign on the fence facing Thacker Street will identify the area as Robert P. Coombs Memorial Rose Garden.

The entire Des Plaines community is invited to attend the dedication ceremony.

“This has become a very well-received endeavor, with much support from near and far,” Des Plaines Fire Chief Alan Wax said. “Several members of firefighter Coombs’ family will be in attendance, including his children.”