Home»BALTIMORE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT»CEREMONIES»MEDALS DAY CEREMONIES»Memorial Service/Medals Day 2012 11-3-2012

The Baltimore City Fire Department honored its heroes on November 3, 2012 at the War Memorial Building in downtown Baltimore. This year seven members were given departmental awards along with numerous unit citations and certificates of commendation.
The Medals Day Ceremony was preceded by the 33rd annual Memorial Service held to honor and remember those members, active and retired that died in the past year. 39 Fire Department members, including three active members along with two members of Box 414 Association passed away in the preceding year.
The service was led by Fire Department Chaplain Father Salvatore Furnari of St. Leo’s Parish in Baltimore after the presentation of colors by the Fire Department Honor Guard. After the prayers and scripture readings two members of the Honor Guard led four members representing the Fire Department and Box 414 Association to the front of the stage. There Rick Hoffman, president of Firefighters Local 734, Mike Campbell, president of Fire Officers local 964, Charlie Williams, of the retirees association, and Roger Katzenberg from Box 414 Association placed flowers in a wreath to honor each departed member as Fire Chief James Clack read the names from the “roll of honor”. A bell was also tolled for each person.
The service then concluded by the playing of taps and a lone bagpiper piping the Recessional. Afterwards family members of the deceased could take flowers from the wreath in remembrance of their loved ones.
After a short lunch break the 18th annual Medals Day Ceremony got under way. Past Fire Commissioner Stuart Nathan presided over the ceremony while Chief Clack and Mayor Rawlings-Blake handed out the seven Exemplary Awards and over 37 unit citations to about 120 members for the heroic acts and services performed for the communities and Department in the past year.
Along with the Departmental awards 13 organization and private awards were also handed out to Firefighters and Paramedics of the Department.
The men and women of the Department put their lives on the line every day with deeds like these, most of which go unnoticed. This is the Fire Departments way to recognize and honor those who make a difference in the lives of the citizens of Baltimore.