Michael “Mickey” Altman, a Chicago firefighter, died on March 18 from injuries he sustained while battling a fire in Rogers Park. Altman, 32, had served with the Chicago Fire Department for about two years and was the fourth generation in his family to do so.
Altman’s death has drawn an outpouring of support from the community and fellow firefighters. He is remembered as a devoted husband and father, having married his wife Nora in 2023. The couple moved to Mount Greenwood last year and have a young son, with another child on the way. Jessi Johnson, a close friend of the family, said the couple met at a concert eight years ago and “have been inseparable ever since.” Johnson described Altman as “an amazing husband” who was “so caring, so loving,” always showing affection toward Nora.
Altman’s commitment to firefighting ran deep in his family. His grandfather, Edward P. Altman, served as Fire Department commissioner from 1996 to 1999 under then-Mayor Richard M. Daley. Current Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said, “We are heartbroken by yet another loss of our own. We will never forget his courage and sacrifice.” Johnson recalled that Altman had dreamed of being a firefighter since childhood: “His whole life, this is all he ever dreamt of being — a fireman.”
The fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. on March 16 at an apartment building at 1757 W. North Shore Ave., according to the Fire Department. While searching the building for residents as part of Truck 47 in Edgewater, Altman fell through the floor into a basement room engulfed in flames. An online fundraiser for his family noted that he was fatally injured “doing what he always does — putting others first.” By Friday morning, more than $500,000 had been raised for his family.
On March 20, neighbors lined Western Avenue and 103rd Street for Altman’s funeral procession. Residents whose spouses serve in the Fire Department attended to show their support; one neighbor said simply, “I feel bad; it’s terrible when these things happen.” Students from St. John Fisher Elementary School, Queen of Martyrs Elementary School and Mount Greenwood Elementary School also paid tribute along the route.
Karen Finnin, a teacher at Mount Greenwood Elementary School where many students are children of first responders, said: “Showing the importance and respect we have for our first responders.” Visitation for Altman is scheduled from 3-8 p.m. Thursday at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on South Western Avenue; his funeral will be held at 10 a.m., March 27 at St. Rita.
