Otto J. Ziska
Agency patch
Patrolman

Otto J. Ziska

Cleveland Division of Police — Cleveland, OH
Illness
End of Watch March 31, 1940
Age 56
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Gender Male

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
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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 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

Type Other
Location Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH
Platform Identity cdpd.cuyahoga.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 31, 1940
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Age 56
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail Duty related illness

The Sacrifice · Illness

Otto is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1940, 1 officer in the United States was lost to illness, the 75th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Otto was 56. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Otto had served 22 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

March holds 5.9% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Sundays: 14.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Cleveland Division of Police has 119 officers remembered here, Otto among them.

Across the years

Patrolman Otto J. Ziska

Cleveland Division of Police · End of Watch March 31, 1940

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 49-E

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