Peabody Firefighters Honored for Heroic Acts in Line of Duty
Peabody firefighters Jim Rice, Eric Harrison, Dale Kimball, Paul Rheaume, Steve Pellegrini and Paul LaPlante were honored at the 2012 Firefighter of the Year Awards. Rice and Worcester's Jon Davies were posthumously given the Medal of Honor. Both men died
Nearly one year ago, Peabody firefighter James Rice paid the ultimate price on the job, and for that he will forever be a hero. Just two days before Christmas last year, Rice, an 11-year veteran of the department, was one of the first crews to the scene of a three-alarm fire at a multi-family home at 5 Hancock St. With smoke showing from the second floor of the building, Rice was one of the firefighters charged with carrying hose lines to all three floors and searching for any occupants inside. Heavy smoke and flames forced firefighters out of the building, but Rice became trapped inside and collapsed between the first and second floors. He was located inside an apartment by another officer and carried outside. Rice was rushed to Salem …
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