[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MARKING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOZRAH VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

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                           HON. SAM GEJDENSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2000

  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the Fiftieth 
Anniversary of the Bozrah Volunteer Fire Department. As a life-long 
resident of Bozrah, I appreciate this opportunity to congratulate the 
men and women of the Department for fifty years of dedicated service to 
the citizens of our community.
  On May 10, 1950, First Selectman Lawrence Gilman invited residents to 
attend the first organizational meeting of Bozrah Volunteer Fire 
Department. Forty five people answered this call and many of them 
formed the core of the early Department. The Department's first truck 
was a used Mack pumper purchased from the community of Rye, New York. 
In May 1951, the Department was officially incorporated. Throughout the 
remainder of the 1950s, the Department expanded steadily. It purchased 
new trucks in 1954 and 1955 and built the first section of its 
firehouse in 1956 which material that had been purchased using 
donations from residents in the community. The Ladies Auxiliary was 
formed in September 1955.
  In the decades that followed, the Department grew to meet the needs 
of the community. It purchased larger and more advanced equipment. Its 
members became emergency medical technicians in order to provide 
immediate care to victims of fires, automobile accidents and other 
emergencies. The Department also dramatically expanded its service to 
the community in areas other than fire protection by sponsoring annual 
Halloween parties for children, supporting local Scout troops and 
offering fire prevention programs for all citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, as the Department celebrates it Fiftieth Anniversary on 
May 10, I am proud to join in commending every member--past and 
present--for their bravery, courage and commitment to public safety. 
Over the past fifty years, the men and women of the Bozrah Volunteer 
Fire Department have answered every call regardless of the time of day, 
regardless of the weather, regardless of their personal commitments. 
Thanks to their dedication, they have saved many lives, protected 
countless homes and businesses, and made the community safer for every 
family. I wish the Department all the best as it embarks on its next 
fifty years of service to our community.

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