The Marblehead Fire Department would like to congratulate and honor Captain Tom Rice on his retirement, effective Friday, after 25 years of distinguished service to the Town.
Rice was appointed to the department in 2000, graduating from Recruit Class 140 in 2001. He rose through the ranks, becoming lieutenant in 2009 and captain in 2018. For six years, he also served as the department’s fire prevention officer, playing a key role in keeping the Marblehead community safe and informed.
Throughout his career, Rice led with integrity, professionalism and a deep commitment to public safety. His leadership, knowledge and steady presence will be greatly missed.
The department said it was an honor to serve alongside him and thanked him for his decades of dedication.
“One of my best memories in the beginning was going to the academy, and then seeing what firefighting was, that’s when I got the bug,” Rice said. “It was like, ‘Wow, this is exciting and something I’d want to do.’
“There’s a lot of great memories with (Marblehead Fire Department), the camaraderie and truly helping people… The firefighting work is much more than firefighting. It’s people we’ve had fall in Castle Rock and have to be rescued, and water rescues and car accidents and gas leaks and flooding and so many aspects to firefighting that’s not firefighting that you don’t realize until you get into the service.”
Rice said the next chapter for him is all about slowing down and having a more routine schedule.
“I made some great friendships,” Rice said. “It starts with the top, the chief, to the training programs, the training officers that get us all prepared and the teamwork within each group. That’s all a big machine that all has to work together in concert in order to make good results. I look back at that and my group, group four, that I worked with, and there was no time that I didn’t think all of us could solve any problem that came in front of us.”
