Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Otto Ziska died of an illness he contracted after rescuing several people from a building fire 16 years earlier.
Patrolman Ziska repeatedly entered a burning building to rescue trapped civilians. As a result, Officer Ziska inhaled large quantities of poisonous gasses that were emitting from the burning building. Officer Ziska was in continuous ill health after that incident but continued to work. Officer Ziska succumbed to heart disease he contracted as a result of exposure to harmful fumes.
Officer Ziska had served with the Cleveland Police Department for 22 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-35A886BA- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
22 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Ziska gave the Cleveland Division of Police 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Cleveland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Ziska.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Otto J. Ziska is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In OH, 49 of 991 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.2 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Cleveland Division of Police, 9 of 119 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 7.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Otto J. Ziska's cause is highlighted.
How Otto J. Ziska Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Otto J. Ziska is highlighted in Mar.
Others Who Wore This Badge
118 officers from Cleveland Division of Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
