Fire chief dies after 25-foot fall inside Delaware station, officials say

The fire chief of a Delaware town died on March 8 after falling 25 feet at the fire station the day before, the Clayton Fire Company said in a news release.

John M. Pridemore was cleaning inside the firehouse at around 6:40 p.m. March 7 when he fell, Delaware Online reported. He was on a scissor lift when someone pressed a button that raised the automatic garage doors, knocking over the lift, and Pridemore fell and hit his head on the bumper of a firetruck, the outlet reported.

Pridemore was cared for by emergency medical technicians at the station before being airlifted to a nearby hospital, Delaware Online reported. He was still hospitalized when he died, the Clayton Fire Company said in the news release.

The company is out of service until services for Pridemore are completed, the release said. In the meantime, the fire district will be covered by other companies, giving Clayton fire officials “time to decompress and prepare for the services,” the release said.

Pridemore joined the Clayton Fire Company as a regular member in 1991, becoming fire chief in 2021, the release said. In between, he filled several other roles, including president, vice president, secretary, fire lieutenant and fire captain. He also served as town manager for the Town of Clayton, the release said.

Pridemore is survived by his wife, his two children, his daughter’s significant other and his granddaughter, the release said.

The town of Clayton and the Clayton Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

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