Salem Honors Fire Department [Photos]

The Mack Park Neighborhood Association, City Council and members of the Moose Lodge thanked the for its service to the city Tuesday night.

The impetus to honor the department came after the Dec. 23 that claimed the life of Firefigther James Rice while he was fighting a fire in his home city.

During a ceremony at the , various members of the Salem Fire Department spoke, including Chaplain Norman LaPointe, who recited the Fireman's Prayer, Lt. Richard Brennan and Chief David Cody.

"The last thing we firefighters look for is personal attenion," Brennan said. The lieutenant acknowledged the men and women who sometimes give their lives serving their communities. Brennan also thanked the city.

"Thank you for the best job I've ever had," Brennan said.

Chief Cody also thanked those in attendance for the honor and then answered multiple questions about the Salem Fire Department, from the number of calls it receives per year, to the logtistics of water rescues and mutual aid setup. He also addresed the risks of the job.

Cody said December was a particularly difficult one for the fire service in Massachusetts with two line of duty deaths (Worcester and Peabody) and four active duty deaths.

After close calls, the chief said different departments share their experiences online so that lessons can be learned.

"They post what went right and what went wrong. It's nice the departments go the distance" to post their experiences, he explained.

For more on the decision to honor the department,