Salem Fire Chief Dave Duncan was honored on his upcoming retirement over the weekend after 48 years at the fire department.
Duncan received a certificate of achievement from the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts and from the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office. The members of the Salem Fire Protection District honored him with a framed glass box containing his patches and radio.
Duncan got an early start at the age of 17 after making a deal to get his hair cut to become a rookie firefighter in 1974. Salem Fire Marshal Bill Fulton then outlined Duncan’s rise through the ranks becoming a firefighter in 1975, lieutenant in 1980, communications officer in 1995, assistant chief in 2003 and then the fire protection district’s sixth fire chief in July 2018. Fulton says while some records are sketchy, he estimates Duncan answered 8,000 of the 11,000 calls the fire district had during his tenure and completed 7,500 hours of training in addition to countless hours of work on equipment and for community service.
“So to sum it up, thank you Chief for your dedication. Thank you for your 48 years of service to the community. Thank you for your leadership. And from the rest of the members of the department and myself, thank you for your friendship. And congratulations to you and Vanessa on your retirement. Best wishes.”
The crowd from the Salem Fire Protection District and their families then gave Duncan a standing ovation.
Assistant Chief Jim Cerny when presenting gifts from the fire district later added his thanks.
“We appreciate your friendship, service, and commitment. 48 years is a long time.”
Duncan followed with a thank you.
“I’ll miss this group. I think of each of you as my extended family.”
But Duncan promised to still be around, especially for the twice-a-year steak fries and the Christmas Party. After the event, Duncan admitted almost being left speechless by the large number who gave up their Saturday afternoon to provide him with well wishes.
Duncan’s retirement becomes effective on Tuesday when the Fire Trustees will meet and are expected to appoint an interim chief before finalizing a choice for the new chief.
