In 1909, Minot, North Dakota, Firefighter Tom Shields became the city’s first line-of-duty fatality after a gasoline tank explosion during a blaze at the Daily Optic newspaper building threw him beneath the printing press, causing fatal injuries that claimed his life five days later.
Tom has served on the Minot Fire Department for ten years.
He was also an officer and member of the local Eagles lodge.
A life-long resident of Minot, his father was one of the oldest residents in the city.
He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his two children; his brother William; and his mother and father.
