Palatine firefighter family bids farewell to early volunteer

As fire raged through the Ben Franklin store in Palatine on Feb. 23, 1973, volunteer firefighter George Palmer, a masterful engineer on the department's snorkel truck, raised the bucket to deliver his fellow firefighters to the roof.

That 50-year-old firetruck, emblazoned with the names of the three firefighters who died in that blaze, was on hand Saturday as a crowd of more than 50 people and a dozen firefighters in full dress blue uniforms bid goodbye to Palmer during a memorial service in front of the historic Palatine Deluge Fire Co. Museum on the grounds of the Palatine Historical Society.

Palmer, who had heart issues and died Sept. 4 at age 85 in his home in Florida, rode on the snorkel truck during the 2016 Palatine Fourth of July Parade, said firetruck owner John Tobin, a retired Elgin firefighter whose father, Dave, was a Palatine firefighter in the 1960s and '70s.

"It's a rolling memorial," John Tobin said. "It does my heart good to remember all the guys who did serve."

Known for his frequent hugs and outstanding singing voice, the 6-foot-7 Palmer owned Palmer Plumbing, but considered the other volunteer firefighters "his fire brothers," said daughter Dorie Maddocks. Her sister, Gini Palmer, also spoke of the firefighters as "family."

Palmer was part of one the first paramedic programs in the nation, said retired Palatine Fire Lt. Bill Noland Jr., 74, who also was in that program developed by Dr. Stanley Zydlo, who died at age 81 in 2015 and was considered "the father" of emergency medical and paramedic services. In addition to honing medical skills every Sunday for two months, the paramedics also received another 120 hours in training on Tuesday and Thursday nights, Noland said.

Noland was on the roof of the Ben Franklin store with other firefighters during that 1973 fire when the decision was made to get off because it was too dangerous. The store was owned by John Wilson, a volunteer firefighter who died alongside Warren "Auggie" Ahlgrim and Richard Freeman when they ran out of air in the basement of the building.

"Everyone wanted to save Johnny's store, and nobody realized what kind of danger they were in," Palmer said in a 2013 Daily Herald story about the tragic fire. "They were good at eating smoke, but had they not had their air packs, they probably would have come out sooner. It was the brave thing to do. But in retrospect, they shouldn't have gone in."

The basement was used for storage and, "it was like a maze down there," said Noland, whose voice choked with the memory. "It's like yesterday. Good guys."

Friends and relatives told stories about Palmer, including how they videotaped him sinking a 52-foot putt on the golf course the day before he died. Many of those early volunteer firefighters became full-time members of the force,

"They certainly started everything we carry with us today," said Palatine Fire Chief Scott Andersen. "We were handed the football. We carry it now. And we will hand it off one day. It truly is a special place."