Eight Gloucester firefighters have lost their lives in the line of duty, the last in 1982.
And on Sunday, the Gloucester Fire Department paid tribute to each of them and to all of their other fellow firefighters who have passed away since that time, through carrying on a Gloucester tradition that dates to the 1880s,
The event was the annual Gloucester Firefighters Memorial Sunday parade and ceremony — now part of a national Firefighters Memorial Sunday recognition that drew parades and services Sunday in Rockport and Essex as well.
State Sen. Bruce Tarr served as speaker for the Gloucester program, which began with the Fire Department parading from the city's Public Works yard on Poplar Street to the local firefighters' memorial in Cherry Hill Cemetery adjacent to Addison Gilbert Hospital.
The Gloucester program is sponsored each year by the Gloucester Firefighters Relief Association headed by longtime firefighter Mike Chipperini. The association provides assistance to families of deceased GFD members, and carries out other services, including placing flags on firefighters' graves for Memorial Day.
Raw: Massive Protests Fill Brazilian Streets
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Raw: Obama Arrives in Berlin
3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter
Obama Seeks G-8 Support on Syria
Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City
Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
Suicide Bombs Target Baghdad Mosque, Killing 29
Military Plans to Put Women in Combat Jobs
Solar Power Chargers in NYC Parks
Civil Rights Groups Sue NYPD Over Muslim Spying
Raw: First Lady, Daughters Enjoy Irish Sights
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Boeing, Airbus Battle for Sales Supremacy
