WORCESTER, Mass. - Worcester Fire Assistant Chief Adam Roche describes Nov. 13 as a tough day for the department.

"On a day like today, we wake up, we remember Jay, we remember and think about his family, we keep them in our thoughts and prayers, and we honor Jay by coming to work and responding to calls like we have been all morning," Roche said.

Five years later, and the memory of Lt. Jason Menard is far from faded among Worcester firefighters.

"I remember his glowing personality," said Roche. "He was very approachable and willing to talk about really anything. But, yeah, very approachable, a very hard worker, and dedicated to the department."

A 9-year veteran with the department, Menard died while fighting a four-alarm fire on Stockholm Street on Nov. 13, 2019. After the 39 year old led his fellow firefighters to safety, flames engulfed the third floor of the three-decker, ultimately claiming his life.

But his peers don't remember him for how he died, they remember who he was.

"Jay's superpower was he was just a really good person," said President of Worcester Fire Local 1009 Will Mosley. "That kind of amplified everything he did. It showed up in his decisions."

Menard's tragic passing was not a new feeling for Worcester Fire. The department lost firefighter Chris Roy in the line of duty in December 2018, firefighter Jon Davies in Dec. 2011, and the Worcester Six on Dec. 3, 1999.

While many turn to the holiday season with excitement and hope, it can be quite the challenging time for firefighters protecting the city.

"The general theme is to look out for each other, check in on one another," Mosley said. "Send a text, make a phone call, grab a lunch or a beer. Something to stay connected, and for us to realize that we're not alone."

And even through those trying times, their message stays the same.

"We always say we never forget," Roche emphasized. "And we don't ever forget."