A Whiteside County jury has awarded $31.5 million to the family of Lt. Garrett Ramos, a Sterling firefighter who died on duty in December 2021. The verdict holds two Rock Falls fire officials—Cris Bouwens and Ken Wolf—each 50% responsible, citing critical lapses in scene management.
Ramos fell through an unrecognized basement floor while battling a house fire and later died of asphyxiation after issuing mayday calls. Key failures included lack of safety protocols and inadequate accountability measures.
Previous OSHA investigations found both Sterling and Rock Falls fire departments at fault for training and procedural gaps that contributed to Ramos’ tragic death.