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Fallen firefighter honored with Rittenhouse Park trail

A trail in Newark is being named after fallen firefighter Jerry Fickes.

City officials, first responders and Fickes’ family members will gather Tuesday evening for the trail dedication at the 45-acre Rittenhouse Park, located along Christiana Creek.

Fickes was one of three firefighters who died in the 2016 Canby Park fire in Wilmington.

According to Newark city officials, Fickes was a longtime Newark AETNA Hose, Hook and Ladder Company firefighter. He was serving in the Wilmington Fire Department at the time of his death.

Fickes’ surviving family members are among those suing the City of Wilmington and former mayors and fire chiefs for staffing practices they claim contributed to the fire’s deadliness.

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.
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