Salem Fire Chief David Cody Announces Retirement

Salem Fire Chief David Cody, who first joined the department as a firefighter on February 26, 1983, will retire on March 31, 2018. Chief Cody rose through the ranks of the Salem Fire Department, serving as Lieutenant from February 13, 1993 until his appointment to Captain on June 10, 2000. On March 1, 2004, he was elevated to the position of Chief of the Salem Fire Department and Director of Emergency Management for the City.

His tenure as Chief for the last 14 years has brought many significant accomplishments and achievements for the department and the community. Under his leadership, the Salem Fire Department rebuilt its ranks to a full complement of firefighters and replaced or rebuilt several critical pieces of apparatus, including one of the department’s two ladder trucks and four pumper engines.

Chief Cody holds a degree in Fire Science and has been an instructor at the Massachusetts Fire Academy. As the head of emergency management for the City, Chief Cody has been a member of the FEMA/MA Task Force and received advanced training at FEMA’s Hurricane School and the National Fire Academy for Hazardous Materials. He is a credential Fire Chief by the Massachusetts Fire Service Commission and a licensed Emergency Medical Technician and First Aid/CPR Instructor.

“While I am so sorry to lose Chief Cody, I want to congratulate him on his well-earned retirement,” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll. “Thanks to his leadership at the helm of the Salem Fire Department we have been able to grow our ranks in a responsible and strategic manner, reduce response times, and tackle some significant public safety emergencies, from fires to storms to large-scale special events. When Dave became Chief in 2004 Salem was a very different place. Our city has grown and thrived and, thanks to Chief Cody’s diligent work for the last fourteen years, our public safety operations have scaled to keep pace and to ensure the safety of our community. Today the Salem Fire Department is the model of a professional, responsive, and effective fire and emergency services department – none of which would be possible without Chief Cody’s integrity, expertise, and dedication to Salem and to the men and women of the Salem Fire Department.”

"This has been a wonderful career and I would like to thank the Mayor, City Councillors, and the citizens of Salem for the support they have shown over the years to both myself and the department,” said Chief Cody.

After March 31, the Department will be led by Deputy Chief Gerry Giunta, who will become Acting Chief until a new Chief is appointed.