Lethbridge Fire Chief Thomas Peter Kilkenny

History Biographical: Thomas Peter Kilkenny was born near Belfast, Ireland in 1882. He emigrated to Canada with his brother around 1900, and secured a job with the Winnipeg Fire Department. He moved from Winnipeg to become Chief of the Portage La Prairie in spring 1909, but in August the same year left that job to become Chief of the Lethbridge Fire Department. Chief Kilkenny's 1910 annual report to City Council began the conversion of the fire department from horse-drawn to motor-powered equipment. On 12 January 1911 Chief Kilkenny led the response to a fire in the Balmoral Hotel, 319 5 Street South. He took the nozzle of the fire hose on the second floor of the hotel and remained in the smoke and heat for 90 minutes until finally overcome by smoke. Taken to his house to recover, Chief Kilkenny was back on the job in two hours. As a result of his experience in the fire, which was fought in -40C weather, Kilkenny ultimately developed pneumonia. Thomas Peter Kilkenny died on 7 March 1911, age 29. He is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Lethbridge. [Source: Johnston, Alex and Bochan, Ted. Lethbridge: A Century of Fire Fighting. Lethbridge Historical Society, 1986, pages 53-54]