[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 20, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        A TRIBUTE TO JOHN BUTLER, T.L.C. MEDICAL SERVICES, INC.

                                 ______


                          HON. JAMES T. WALSH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 20, 1995

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives today to join me in paying special tribute to an 
industrious individual with a good heart. A constituent of mine who in 
addition to dedicating his life to a business which saves people's 
lives, has shown the ingenuity to rise above the hundreds who provide a 
similar service by coming up with an idea that helps drunk drivers help 
themselves back to respectability.
  The man's name is David J. Butler of T.L.C. Medical Services, Inc., 
an ambulance service in Cortland, NY. Mr. Butler recently was honored 
by his peers in the American Ambulance Association when he won the 
Public Safety Program Award in a national competition.
  Working in conjunction with the Cortland County district attorney and 
the county sheriff, Mr. Butler developed a program which allowed first-
time DWI offenders who were not involved in a serious infraction 
connected with their offense to benefit from a plea bargain which 
required them to do community service.
  The community service, as you might guess, was to ride with ambulance 
personnel to drinking-related calls so as to experience, while sober, 
the devastating effect alcohol can have on drivers and on domestic 
situations
  The program is called Riding for Life. It is to the credit of David 
J. Butler, who 22 years ago acquired his ambulance company and since 
then has shown what commitment means. He has increased the number of 
ambulances and other vehicles, and he still works very hard himself.
  Mr. Butler is a civic leader in central New York. I am very proud to 
call him a neighbor and thank my colleagues for acknowledging his 
accomplishment.