[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING BAYTOWN'S PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 1997

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Darrell Davis, Keith 
Dougherty, and Mike Jones of Baytown, TX, upon their selection as 
Baytown Fire Fighter, Police Officer, and Paramedic of the Year 
respectively. They will be the guests of honor at Baytown's fifth 
annual Public Safety Recognition Dinner on November 17, 1997, and they 
are each certainly deserving of this honor.
  Darrell Davis, the 1997 Baytown Fire Fighter of the Year, has spent 
his career helping others. Lieutenant Davis received his basic fire 
fighter training at Texas A & M University, where he graduated at the 
top of his class. He joined the Baytown Fire Department in November 
1974, and quickly rose through its ranks. He achieved the rank of 
lieutenant in 1981 and moved into the fire marshal's office the next 
year. Lieutenant Davis also served as chief of the Highlands Fire 
Department and was instrumental in obtaining a $200,000 grant for the 
city to purchase new equipment. He was also one of the first two 
paramedics trained for duty in East Harris County.
  Darrell Davis' priorities have included the acquisition of vital fire 
prevention equipment for the Baytown area and teaching children fire 
safety skills. He spearheaded the drive to establish the Baytown Life 
Safety Foundation, which he now chairs, and helped develop the fire 
safety house, a specially built house for children to teach them the 
proper techniques to survive a fire. He is also active in Cub Scouts, 
teaching kids, including his son Aaron, the do's and don'ts of fire 
safety. Lieutenant Davis is making Baytown a better and safer place for 
all its citizens.
  Keith Dougherty, the Police Officer of the Year, also has a long 
history of serving the people of Baytown. Officer Dougherty came to 
Baytown in 1982 from St. Louis, MO, where he served as a police officer 
for one year following pursuit of his masters degree at Webster 
University. During his tenure in Baytown, he has served in many 
capacities within the police force, including the patrol division, the 
crime prevention unit, the training division, and, since January 1993, 
as a detective. Officer Dougherty currently serves as a police 
instructor, certified crime prevention specialist, SWAT team sniper, 
and DARE officer, and he is a criminal justice instructor at Lee 
College in Baytown. His outstanding efforts have won him three 
commendations for outstanding performance and the admiration of his 
peers and all of Baytown.
  This year's Paramedic of the Year, Mike Jones, joined the Baytown 
Health Department's Emergency Medical Services team in 1996, and he has 
quickly earned the respect and praise of the entire community. 
Paramedic Jones has served as a paramedic for the past 8 years and is 
currently training future paramedics who will join him in providing a 
high level of emergency response and care to the people of Baytown. 
They could not be learning from a finer example. In addition to his 
expertise in patient care issues, Paramedic Jones has obtained his 
associate degree in emergency medical services and criminal justice 
from Lee College in Baytown. In a short period of time, Mike Jones has 
shown a tremendous commitment that is improving emergency response and 
saving lives in Baytown.
  Public safety officers often put their own safety and even their own 
lives at risk for the sake of their fellow citizens. They serve us 
during some of the most difficult times of our lives, when we are 
facing the stress of crimes, fires, or medical emergencies. They are 
certainly deserving of our gratitude and honor. So I am honored to join 
in this tribute to Darrell Davis, Keith Dougherty, and Mike Jones and 
to all who serve our community alongside them. They are examples for 
all of us.

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