'I'm A Workhorse': Clayton Fire Captain Daniel Nicewarner Remembered

Daniel Nicewarner fit right into the family.

"He had great respect for the fire service and those that he worked with," said Kathy Brooks-Maness, administrative secretary for the department. To him, the safety of residents and fire employees came first.

The former captain .

Dan began working in Clayton in 1983 as a firefighter, and he didn't leave until 1999.

Soon after he became promoted to captain, he used a phrase for which he became well-known.

In those days, captains wore white caps and shirts. One day, he returned from helping the crew on a call. He was dirty from head to toe, and someone remarked on the condition of his shirt.

"I'm a workhorse, not a show pony," Dan responded.

He became one of the first Clayton fire employees given the opportunity to train to become a registered nurse in lieu of entering a paramedic program. The training took several years to complete, and he was proud of the accomplishment, Brooks-Maness said.

Dan later worked as an emergency room nurse in Ohio.

She and other Clayton fire officials last saw him in July, when he returned for the retirement of Capt. Carl Heggemeyer.

"Dan was just a good guy," Brooks-Maness said. "He was just one of us."

Capt. Phil Lopez first worked under Dan as a firefighter. Dan's two sons, Danny and Tyler, were the most important thing in life to him.

He taught the high-rise class for years at the St. Louis County Fire Academy and competed in the national Firefighter Combat Challenge.

"Dan was a great firefighter, great paramedic, just a dedicated employee," Lopez said.