[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 45 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E485-E486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO AMERICA'S VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS

                                 ______


                           HON. GLEN BROWDER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 28, 1996

  Mr. BROWDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to the 1.7 
million men and women across America who serve as firefighters. They 
risk their own lives each day to protect our communities from the 
destruction that fire causes. They are truly American heroes.
  Our Nation, rich in so many things, cannot escape fire's grasp. The 
United States has a higher incidence of death and property loss due to 
fire than any other industrialized nation in the world. Each year, we 
are painfully reminded of the death and destruction fire can cause. 
Last year alone, 4,275 people died in fires--an average of one death 
every 2 hours. Fires injured over 27,000 others.
  Specifically, I rise today to commend our volunteer firefighters for 
the excellent job they do in protecting our country's and my State's 
rural areas. These special people take their own free time, after 
working long hours on their regular jobs, and volunteer so that others 
might rest assured that they are well protected. They give everything 
and expect nothing.
  Almost 90 percent of our Nation's fire service is volunteer. In my 
State of Alabama, 30,000 men and women proudly serve as volunteer 
firefighters. These dedicated volunteers often must overcome more than 
just deadly fires. Their fire departments often operate on small 
budgets, using old equipment, and with small water supplies.
  The value of volunteer fire departments extends beyond fire and 
safety protection. In Alabama's small communities, the building often 
serves as the community center. Firefighters bind communities together, 
and they truly embody the idea of people helping other people.
  Last fall, after Hurricane Opal's destruction came through Alabama, I 
accompanied the volunteer department in Gold Hill one Sunday cleaning 
up the yard of an elderly woman. A huge tree lay across her driveway. 
We spent several hours removing the limbs and debris from the blocked 
driveway, clearing a path for her in case of a medical emergency. Being 
part of such a show of community spirit after such a devastating storm 
was truly remarkable.
  On the way home that evening, I spoke with a crew of power company 
employees who had just returned from their job of restoring power to 
homes. One employee told me that were it not for the thousands of 
volunteer firefighters who began clearing downed trees from the road, 
it would have been impossible for the power company to reach many of 
Alabama's hardest hit areas and restore electricity.

  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the three Alabamians 
who were among the Nation's fallen firefighters. There names were 
inscribed on the Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Maryland last fall. 
Jay Boothe, a 17 year old from Shelby County, Bedford Cash, a member of 
the U.S. Forest Service in Tuskegee, and Herbert Smith, also of Shelby 
County, paid the ultimate price--giving their lives in the line of 
duty. In the January edition of the Volunteer,

[[Page E486]]

the newsletter of the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire 
Departments, Linda Boothe, the mother of Jay Boothe, wrote about the 
memorial dedication:

       The honor and tributes paid to these fallen heroes is a 
     wonderful display of how a country does care and remember its 
     other heroes--those who serve their country in their own 
     communities and fight the war against the fiery dragon that 
     threatens through carelessness. The monumental plaque with 
     the names of the firefighters that died in 1994 now stands at 
     the monument site so that others can read these heroes' names 
     for years to come.

  That, Mr. Speaker, truly sums up the valuable role these volunteers 
play in so many lives each and every day across this great country. On 
behalf of the U.S. Congress and a grateful Nation, I say Thank you and 
God bless you.

                          ____________________