Howe v. The Retirement Board of the Firemen’s Annunity and Benefit Fund of Chicago

Retirement Board properly denied fire department paramedic's application for duty disability benefit. Paramedic had self-dispatched upon hearing that a man had fallen from a platform onto rail tracks at train station, and sustained torn rotator cuff after leaping over turnstile to rush to scene, although he did not render any medical treatment to victim. Section 6-110 of Pension Code is applicable to determine whether injury was sustained as result of an act of duty. No evidence that employee was required to self-dispatch, and thus Board correctly found that he was not injured as result of act of duty in his role as media affiairs officer or as a paramedic. No evidence suggests that he would be unable to perform any assigned duty with fire department, as he is capable of performing administrative duties.(CONNORS and HARRIS, concurring.)