Nov. 16 -- At his swearing-in ceremony, Salem's new Fire Chief John "Gerry" Giunta explained why he thinks his crew of firefighters is better than any other team in New England.
"We are better than the Red Sox, the Patriots, the Bruins, and the Celtics," Giunta said. "The reason we are better is that every team I mentioned trains every day for an opponent who they know, to play at a time and a place that have already been determined. We train every day for a job that could kill us."
Giunta, a lifelong Salem resident who's been a firefighter in the city since 1983, took his oath as chief on Thursday, Nov. 15. He was sworn in before a crowd of about 250 people at Old Town Hall, 12 Derby Square.
Fire chiefs from around the North Shore were there, along with politicians, families, and well-wishers.
The festivities began with Giunta marching with about 70 of his firefighters, dressed in blue uniforms and white gloves, from Central Fire Headquarters on Lafayette Street to Old Town Hall. In 26-degree weather, Salem Police and Fire Honor Guards led the way, and Lt. Wayne Silva played the bagpipes.
Once inside, dignitaries, including State Rep. Paul Tucker (D-Salem), spoke to Giunta's impressive career so far, which includes 35 years on the force.
"We have a chief who's learned the job by doing the job," said Tucker, who served five years as Salem police chief.
Giunta also leads FEMA's Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and was part of a 70-member team in New York City after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. He deployed in response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irene, and Katrina, the 2011 Springfield tornadoes, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing.
In her remarks, Mayor Kim Driscoll shared a conversation she had with one of Giunta's firefighters.
"He told me that with Gerry, you trust him and know that you are part of a team and, what is just as important, Gerry is part of that team, too. He's the kind of leader who leads from within his people, not above them," Driscoll said.
While the mid-morning swearing-in ceremony was staged on Derby Square, Ward 4 Councilor and Salem Firefighter Tim Flynn closed out the City Council's Thursday night meeting showing his boss with praise.
"He has the troops behind him, and 100 percent was the right choice. Moral is up," said Flynn. "Chief Giunta is well-qualified, and he is the right person to lead us into the future."
In a Salem Gazette interview, Giunta said safety will remain his top priority.
"First and foremost is the safety of the firefighters. The old school way of thinking was that the more beat up and dirty your gear was the more you were a seasoned veteran," he said. "Today we clean our gear regularly due to the increased cancer risks among firefighters."
He will encourage firefighters receive as much training as possible beyond the minimum required.
As he puts it: "You can't train enough for a job that can kill you."
Giunta says his biggest challenge moving forward is the unknown.
"We never know what any one day will bring. We've seen this through terrorist attacks, as well as natural disasters," he said. "You can just pray that it doesn't happen but prepare for the worst-case scenarios."
Tight budgets pose another difficulty, he said.
"Every department in Salem is competing for the same funding that is available to all of us. All the department heads try to convince the mayor and city council how important the funding is," he said. "If you ask any department head in Salem 'What is the most important department?' the answer from every individual would be: 'Mine!'"
With the pomp and circumstance of a new fire chief over, Giunta can now pivot to a somewhat normal routine administering, managing and overseeing one of Salem's largest departments – with 95 full-time equivalent employees and roughly a $9.2 million budget.
In 2017, Salem firefighters responded to 7,116 emergency calls, provided mutual aid to surrounding communities on 63 separate occasions and conducted nearly 2,000 fire inspections, according to the mayor's office.
The chief said he will soon undergo knee surgery and expects a speedy recovery before getting back on the job.
"I look forward to working with everyone on the fire department and all the departments in the city of Salem," he said. "We have a great team and I want to participate in any way I can to make it better than it already is."
William J. Dowd, editor of the Salem Gazette, contributed to this article.
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