Retired IN Battalion Chief, Investigator, Teacher Dies at 75

Veteran Firefighter and Battalion Chief (Ret) Clyde Thomas “Tom” Pfisterer died on Friday June, 10 2011.

He was born in 1936 to Clyde Howard and Helen Ziegler Pfisterer, cared for by his maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather while his parents had tuberculosis. Clyde grew up and graduated from GeorgeWashingtonHigh School. He worked as a drummer, tool and die maker, banker. grocer, butcher, contractor and more during his high school and post high school years. Clyde joined the Air Guard in 1954 and went to France as a medic in the late 50s. He served a Boy Scout leader, and radio announcer.

Sworn in by IFD in 1959, he spent more than 46 years as a Firefighter. He was a founding member of the IFD Arson Squad and earned ranks over time, serving in many stations and positions, retiring as a Battalion Chief in charge of Hi Rise Buildings in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. 

He continued to teach for the Dept of Homeland Security and FEMA all over the US and traveled to the Middle East to teach Hi Rise. He also served as an Arson Investigator for several firms and wrote a nationally recognized manual on Hi Rise firefighting. He returned to school as a student to get his Fire Science Degree and graduated in 1995. His passion was training Firefighters to help keep themselves and the public safe. 

He is survived by his wife Marilyn; sons, Dennis (Cindy) and Phillip (Patti); step-children, Linda, Mike (Denise) and Mark (Linda Marie); grandchildren, Ashley, Grant, Brett, Garrett and Jeremy; step-grandchildren, Nick and Jeannette and great-grandchildren, Austin and Libby and his many friends.

Services for Clyde will begin Tuesday June 14, 2011 with visitation in Crown Hill Funeral Home from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and again on Wednesday June 15, 2011 from 11 a.m. with a drive by IFD Station 14 and services following at Noon. 

Memorial contributions can be made to Survive Alive,