East Branch, NY, Fire Chief Dies after Being Electrocuted at Crash Scene

An Upstate New York fire chief was fatally electrocuted while responding to a DWI crash in Delaware County this week, officials confirmed Friday.

“It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that the East Branch Fire Department announces the Line of Duty Death of 3rd Assistant Chief Jason McGlone who died of injuries sustained while operating at the scene of an emergency on Thursday,” the department said in a statement.

The 51-year-old was responding to a report of a pickup that hit a utility pole on State Highway 30 in the town of Hancock, on the border of northeast Pennsylvania, around 9:30 p.m., according to a New York State Police spokesperson.

McGlone, a 25-year volunteer with the department, was driving a rescue pumper to the crash when a low-hanging electrical wire struck the top of the firetruck, per a preliminary investigation.

When McGlone exited the truck and touched the metal door while standing on the ground, he was electrocuted, officials said.

Despite immediate life-saving efforts, McGlone was pronounced dead at the scene.

“His death leaves a void,” Fire Chief Rod Keesler told the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, remembering his friend as “a well-respected and all-around great guy.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul also paid tribute to the volunteer firefighter, who “tragically lost his life” in the line of duty.

“Chief McGlone’s 25 years of service within East Branch, including 15 years as an assistant chief, embodied the courage, commitment and selflessness that define New York’s volunteer firefighters,” Hochuld said Friday. “He represented the very best of what New Yorkers give to their communities in the name of public safety.”

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