LODD: FF/Medic Daniel Nicholas, 40,Des Moines

[Guest]

This is such a tragic and heartbreaking end to his life. My prayers go to his wife, 5 children, family and the Des Moines and Indianola firefighting communities. May he rest in peace.

D.M. firefighter killed on way home from work

By ABBY SIMONS

DES MOINES REGISTER STAFF WRITER

December 26, 2005

What should have been a joyous belated Christmas on Monday turned tragic in an instant for the family of a local firefighter.

Daniel Nichols, 40, of Indianola died shortly after 7 a.m. after his car struck a patch of ice. A full-time fire medic for the Des Moines Fire Department and a volunteer fireman in Indianola, he was on his way home from a 48-hour shift to celebrate Christmas with his wife and five children.

Not initially scheduled to work the holiday, Nichols had volunteered to work for a colleague to allow him to spend time with family. That's the kind of guy he was, friends said.

"He was excellent. He'd give you the shirt off his back," said Joe Sciarrotta, a close friend who was among the last to see Nichols as he was relieved him from his shift Monday at Station No. 8 on Des Moines' south side.

Authorities said Nichols' vehicle rolled over just miles from his home at the intersection of Warren County Road R63 and Harrison Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

For Nichols' wife, Jana, and the children, ages 5 to 20, who had been waiting for him to walk in the door, it was the worst news imaginable.

By Monday evening, Jana Nichols and family friends gathered at an impromptu candlelight vigil at the crash site.

The Indianola and Des Moines fire departments also lowered their flags to half-staff to recognize their friend and colleague.

Des Moines Fire Chief Phillip Vorlander said Nichols will be considered "killed in the line of duty" because he died within 48 hours of the end of his shift. If approved at the federal level, the designation would provide benefits to Nichols' wife and children.

"As far as the Des Moines Fire Department is concerned, he will always be considered killed in the line of duty," Vorlander said. "Along with all departments in this country, our motto is 'Everybody goes home,' and Dan didn't make it home."

A former Marine, Nichols was the first Des Moines firefighter deemed killed in the line of duty in more than 35 years. On Feb. 10, 1970, engineer John Leto died in an accident.

Nichols joined the Des Moines Fire Department in 2004 and was recently promoted to fire medic. He continued to volunteer with the Indianola Fire Department despite the busy father's hectic schedule.

More than fighting fires, Nichols loved his family. On Christmas, his wife and children spent time with him at the south-side station.

"I don't know how he made it work," Sciarrotta said. "He'd find a way, and he'd make a point to spend time with both."

Nichols also volunteered with the Boy Scouts and worked construction. Camping and spending time outdoors were favorite pastimes with his children, friends said.

On Monday morning, Indianola firefighters helped Nichols' kids put their new toys together. It was heartbreaking but touching at the same time, Indianola Fire Chief Brian Seymour said.

"It was a relief for them to be able to help do that and help keep the kids in the Christmas spirit, even though things weren't normal," he said.

Des Moines Fire Department spokesman Brian O'Keefe said the timing and circumstances of the incident make it especially heartbreaking.

"We all know that in this line of business there is some element of danger, but being the holidays, and knowing that his wife and children were waiting for him to come home to open their Christmas presents and instead be greeted by Indianola Fire Department members to give them the news, that's tough," O'Keefe said. "Knowing he had given his time to protect the city of Des Moines and miss Christmas with his family, not that any other day it wouldn't be as challenging, but it just seems more profound."

Especially for friends like Sciarrotta.

"The last thing he said to me was he was on the way to spend Christmas with his family," he said. "Ironically, I told him to drive careful."

A visitation for Daniel Nichols will take place from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Overton Funeral Home, 501 W. Ashland Ave., in Indianola.

Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Assembly of God Church in Indianola, 1700 Highway 92. Interment will be at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens, Marshalltown.

Members of the Des Moines Professional Firefighters Local 4 and the Indianola Fire Department have set up trust funds for Daniel Nichols' family. Donations may be sent to:

Nichols Memorial Trust

Bank of the West

211 E. Boston Ave.

Indianola, IA 50125

Dan Nichols Memorial Fund

D.M. Fire Credit Union

900 Mulberry St.

Des Moines, IA 50309

[Guest]

This is such a tragic and heartbreaking end to his life. My prayers go to his wife, 5 children, family and the Des Moines and Indianola firefighting communities. May he rest in peace.

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sad but its not a l.o.d.d.

[Guest]

Classified as LODD by the Des Moines, Iowa Fire Dept.; now pending before the U.S. Fire Administration at the Federal level.

[Guest]

Des Moines firefighter remembered as 'enthusiastic'

By JOHN GAPS III

DES MOINES REGISTER STAFF WRITER

December 29, 2005

A single Christmas tree, trimmed in silver and white, was lost among the dozens of funeral flowers and plants on the altar at the First Assembly of God Church in Indianola this morning.

As bagpipes mournfully played, the flag-draped casket of Des Moines firefighter Daniel Nichols was led to the front of the church, followed by his wife and five children. Nichols was killed early Monday when his vehicle rolled over on a Warren County road a few miles from his home after he worked consecutive 24-hour shifts, one as a favor to another firefighter.

Enthusiasm was the theme of Nichols' funeral.

"Enthusiasm for his life, enthusiasm for his job, enthusiasm to get to his family for Christmas," said fellow Indianola volunteer firefighter John Schultz, who eulogized his friend.

Almost a thousand friends, family, emergency services workers, law enforcement officials and Marines attended Nichols' funeral — more than half of them in some sort of uniform.

Nichols, who had spent the last 11 months as a fire medic at Station No. 3 on Des Moines' northeast side, was repeatedly called exuberant and enthusiastic by co-workers, supervisors and friends.

The tragedy of the 40-year-old's death is etched even deeper into the heart of the two communities — Des Moines, where he worked, and Indianola, where he lived and volunteered — because it came smack-dab in the middle of the holidays.