[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 31, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S912]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO TERRY BRAGG

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize a brave and 
hard-working Ohioan by the name of Terry Bragg. Terry has been a life-
long resident of McConnelsville, where he has spent the last 39 years 
as a member of the Malta-McConnelsville Fire Department. During nearly 
40 years of tireless dedication to his community, Terry has served as a 
firefighter, Assistant Fire Chief, and for the last 32 years, as the 
department's Fire Chief.
  I recognize Terry today for his commitment to protecting his 
community from devastating fires. People like Terry Bragg, who risk 
their lives daily on our behalf, command great respect and deserve our 
deep and sincere thanks.
  I cannot overstate just how important Terry's job of fire fighting 
and prevention education is to our families and communities. Overall, 
fire is responsible for killing more Americans than all natural 
disasters combined. Every 18 seconds, a fire department responds to a 
fire somewhere in the United States. In 1998, there were 4,035 civilian 
fire deaths--that's one death every 130 minutes. And sadly, many of 
those who die each year in fires are children.
  To help support Terry and every firefighter in Ohio and across 
America as they work to protect our families and children, I sponsored 
the Firefighter Investment Act, which provides a vital federal 
investment to the courageous men and women who make up our local fire 
departments. I am please do report that we successfully included my 
bill as a provision in the recently-passed Fiscal Year 2001 Department 
of Defense Appropriations bill. The funding that will be made available 
as a result will help local fire departments and firefighters, just 
like Terry Bragg and the Malta-McConnelsville Fire Department, to 
continue carrying out their life-saving missions.
  Over the years, Terry Bragg has received many, many awards and 
special recognitions. He has received three medals for bravery, and in 
1997, the Ohio Department of the Veterans of Foreign Wars named him 
``Ohio Firefighter of the Year.'' He received the Bob and Delores Hope 
``Good Samaritan Award,'' the ``M&M Firefighter of the Year Award,'' 
and the Ohio Masonic Grand Master's ``Community Service Award.''
  Not only is Terry a dedicated Fire Chief, he is a strong community 
leader; volunteer; businessman; and loving husband, father, and 
grandfather. Indeed, Terry Bragg is a role model for whom we all can be 
proud.
  I thank him for his past, present, and future service to his 
community, to Ohio, and to our nation.

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