Palatine firefighters memorial ceremony Thursday

The Palatine Fire Department will host a memorial ceremony Thursday to recognize the service and sacrifice of two volunteer firefighters who died in the line of duty 74 years ago.

Firefighters Wesley Comfort Jr. and Leonard Nebel were killed Oct. 2, 1946, when a fire truck en route to a fire crashed into a passenger train. Nebel died at the scene and was survived by his widow and five children. Comfort, Jr., son of the fire chief, died three days later.

The ceremony will be held at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial at the corner of North Brockway and West Slade Streets in downtown Palatine. Members of the public who attend are asked to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

The Palatine Fire Honor Guard will step off from Station 85 at 39 E. Colfax St. at about 8:45 a.m. and march to the memorial, where there will be a wreath presentation and ringing of the ceremonial fire bell.

The ceremony will be recorded and available on the village's Facebook page, website, and public access Channel 6 during October.