[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 103 (Monday, July 23, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H4399-H4401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING FOUR FIREFIGHTERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES FIGHTING THIRTYMILE
FIRE IN CASCADE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON STATE
Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 201) honoring four
firefighters who lost their lives fighting the Thirtymile Fire in the
Cascade Mountains of Washington State, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 201
Whereas, on July 10, 2001, 21 United States Forest Service
firefighters were dispatched to contain a spot fire of the
Thirtymile Fire in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forest
in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State;
Whereas high temperatures, low humidity, and erratic winds,
combined with very dry forest fuels, caused the fire to
become an explosive, high-intensity fire that rapidly
progressed from less than 25 acres to over 2,500 acres in
less than 3 hours;;
Whereas 14 of the firefighters were forced to deploy
emergency shelters as a result of being overrun by the
rapidly expanding fire;
Whereas 4 of the firefighters and 2 civilians were injured
in the fire, including firefighter Jason Emhoff, firefighter
Thomas Taylor, firefighter Scott Sherzinger, and firefighter
Rebecca Welch, whose heroic actions saved the lives of the
two civilians;
Whereas, in service to the Nation and in the line of duty
to protect their communities and fellow citizens, 4
firefighters lost their lives in the fire; and
Whereas these 4 firefighters who lost their lives were Tom
Craven of Ellensburg, Washington, husband and father of two,
Karen FitzPatrick of Yakima, Washington, Jessica Johnson of
Yakima Washington, and Devin Weaver of Yakima, Washington:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors firefighters Tom Craven, Karen FitzPatrick,
Jessica Johnson, and Devin Weaver, who lost their lives
fighting the Thirtymile Fire in the Cascade Mountains of
Washington State, for their bravery and sacrifice in service
to the Nation;
(2) extends its deepest sympathies to the families and
fellow firefighters of these heroes; and
(3) reaffirms its support and commitment to America's
Federal firefighters who, without reservation, answer the
call of duty and risk their lives for the Nation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) and the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs.
Mink) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Davis).
General Leave
Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks on House Resolution 201.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 201, and I
commend its sponsor, the distinguished gentleman from Washington (Mr.
Hastings), for introducing it.
This resolution honors four firefighters: Tom Craven, a husband and
father of two from Ellensburg, Washington; and Karen Fitzpatrick,
Jessica Johnson, and Devin Weaver, all of Yakima, Washington, who gave
their lives fighting the Thirtymile Fire in the Okanogan and Wenatchee
National Forest in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
The resolution also expresses the deepest sympathies of this House
for their families.
Finally, Madam Speaker, it pledges that the House will continue to
support and work for all American firefighters who, in the words of the
resolution, ``without reservation answer the call of duty and risk
their lives for the Nation.''
Madam Speaker, on July 10, 2001, 21 Forest Service firefighters were
sent to contain a spot fire, but high temperatures, low humidity, and
erratic winds combined with very dry forest fuels to cause the fire to
become an explosive, high-intensity fire. In under 3 hours, that fire
spread from less than 25 acres to more than 2,500 acres. Fourteen
firefighters were overrun by the rapidly expanding fire and had to
deploy emergency shelters.
In addition to the four firefighters who were killed, four others and
two civilians were injured. The injured firefighters were Jason Emhoff,
Thomas Taylor, Scott Sherzinger, and Rebecca Welch. Ms. Welch's heroic
actions saved the lives of the two civilians.
Madam Speaker, less than 1 month ago, this House honored three
firefighters who died fighting a blaze in Queens, New York. Today we
are again honoring four more firefighters killed in the line of duty,
which reinforces the observations we made then of the dangers inherent
in fighting fires. Their deaths are a sad reminder of the daily risk
our firefighters voluntarily assume to protect the lives and property
of their fellow Americans.
The men and women who have devoted their lives to fighting fires in
America are truly heroes. I, as the wife of a career firefighter,
understand the many risks and sacrifices these dedicated professionals
endure, and as we honor the four firefighters who died in Washington
State, Madam Speaker, let us also thank and honor all American
firefighters.
I encourage all Members to support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, the honorable gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis),
ranking minority member of the Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency
Administration, would have been here except for an unavoidable delay,
and I have the honor of representing the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Davis) in making this opening statement and guiding the course of House
resolution 201 honoring four firefighters who lost their lives in the
Cascade Mountains of Washington State.
{time} 1530
The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) would have said this morning
that he had spoken of three firefighters who lost their leaves on
Father's Day fighting a five-alarm blaze that ripped through a hardware
store in Queens, New York. At that time he would have said their names
would be added to the fallen firefighter memorial wall in Memorial Park
in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Today, he would have said that he was saddened to have to stand
before the House and say that an additional four names would have to be
added to that memorial park. Tom Craven, 30; Devin Weaver, 21; Jessica
Johnson, 19; and Karen FitzPatrick, 19, died on Tuesday, July 10, in
the North Cascade Mountains in Winthrop, Washington. They were part of
a 21-member crew
[[Page H4400]]
trapped when the fire they were called upon to mop up blew up around
them.
The fire, which apparently was sparked by an unattended campfire,
quickly spread through the stands of 80- to 100-year-old trees. Tom,
Devin, Jessica and Karen only had seconds to find an escape route. They
tried to drive away from the fire but found themselves on a dead-end
road. These brave firefighters were killed when a wall of flames
crashed on them in their emergency shelters.
H. Res. 201 honors not only the four firefighters who died in the
blaze but the firefighters who were injured in the fire while saving
the lives of civilians. All the firefighters who were in the Cascade
Mountains that day were there to fulfill their promise to keep their
communities safe by being on the front lines against fires. We honor
them today for their bravery and for the promise they kept.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to
the distinguished gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt).
Mr. NETHERCUTT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding
me this time. I am delighted to support this resolution, H.R. 201,
which was introduced by my dear friend and colleague, the gentleman
from Washington (Mr. Hastings), who just happens to not be able to be
here today because he is out West preparing to attend the funeral for
these four young people who died and who are the subject of this
resolution.
My colleague introduced the legislation out of respect for those in
the West who fight fires and especially out of respect for these four
people who lost their lives trying to save the lives of others. And he
is joined, along with myself, with the rest of the congressional
delegation from our State in paying tribute and honor to these fine
people.
We in the West are used to fighting fires. We are used to the dangers
of firefighting wildfires throughout the Pacific Northwest States. Yet
it is very difficult for us today as we pay tribute and recognize the
danger of fighting fires and the hazards that many men and women go
through not just in our State but other States across this country to
put out fires and to save lives. These four young people were moms and
dads and the children of moms and dads and brothers and sisters and
uncles and aunts and friends to many who respected what they do and
what they have done. Tom Craven, Karen FitzPatrick, Jessica Johnson,
and Devin Weaver gave their lives to their country and in service
certainly as Federal firefighters.
There were some bright spots that came out of this tragedy, I must
say. Amid the sadness and great loss were a few encouraging moments.
Firefighter Rebecca Welch embraced two hikers in her emergency shelter
as the flames approached and saved their lives and her own. Firefighter
Jason Emhoff suffered severe burns, and he is successfully
recuperating. Others continue to fight the blaze in honor of their
fallen colleagues.
I think this resolution is a way to pay tribute to these fine people
and to recognize the seriousness of firefighting and the importance of
these young people as they jeopardize their lives. So I am delighted
that the House is taking this action. I urge my colleagues to support
this, and I especially say congratulations to the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Hastings) for taking the initiative to recognize these
four young people.
Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty).
Mr. McNULTY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me
this time, and I thank all of the sponsors of this bill, especially the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) and our colleagues from the
State of Washington, but it is sad indeed that so soon after the New
York tragedy we are back here again memorializing firefighters who died
in the line of duty.
What the previous speaker said certainly is correct, that Tom and
Devin and Jessica and Karen will go down in history as heroes, along
with the Worcester Six and the New York Four. Our thoughts and prayers
are with all of the members of their families.
But I will reinforce what I said when we memorialized the New York
Four and that is that we should take to heart the words of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon). If the Members of this House
and the Members of this Congress really want to do something for
firefighters, we can pass that comprehensive grant program for fire
departments all across this country. We had a program for cops, we had
a program for teachers, we should have a program for firefighters. Let
us get our priorities straight. They are putting their lives on the
line for us every single day.
Of course, as citizens, we can do something, too. Instead of just
extending our thoughts and prayers to families when they have lost
their loved ones, we can go around and thank the firefighters who are
serving us this day and every day. I suggest to my fellow citizens that
the next time they are taking a stroll in their neighborhood, stop by
the local firehouse, walk in and say hello, shake somebody's hand and
let them know that we are grateful for the fact that they are willing
to put their lives on the line 365 days a year to protect our lives and
our property.
So I thank all of the sponsors of this resolution; and I especially
thank the four fallen heroes, Tom, Devin, Jessica, and Karen, and
express my thoughts and extend my prayer prayers to all of the members
of their families.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the
balance of my time.
I again commend the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) for
introducing this resolution. I also thank the gentleman from Indiana
(Mr. Burton), chairman of the Committee on Government Reform; the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Scarborough), chairman of the Subcommittee
on Civil Service and Agency Organization; as well as the ranking
members of the full committee and subcommittee, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Waxman) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for
expediting consideration of this resolution.
It is impossible for this House to lessen the loss suffered by the
families of these four firefighters. We can only hope that our action
today will help comfort those families by symbolizing our Nation's
gratitude for their loved ones' bravery and the debt we owe to them
all. I urge all Members to support this resolution.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, last month, I spoke of three
firefighters who lost their lives on Father's Day, fighting a five-
alarm blaze that ripped through a hardware store in Queens, New York.
At that time, I said that their names would be added to the Fallen
Fire Fighter Memorial Wall in Memorial Park in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. Today, I am sad to say, that their names will be joined by
four other brave firefighters.
Tom Craven, 30, Devin Weaver, 21, Jessica Johnson, 19, and Karen
FitzPatrick, 19, died on Tuesday, July 10 in the North Cascade
Mountains in Winthrop, Washington. They were part of a 21-member crew
trapped when the fire they were called upon to ``mop up'' blew up
around them.
The fire, which apparently was sparked by an unattended campfire,
quickly spread through stands of 80- to 100-year-old trees. Tom, Devin,
Jessica, and Karen, only had seconds to find an escape route. They
tried to drive away from the fire, but found themselves on a dead-end
road. These brave firefighters were killed when a wall of flames
crashed down on them in their foil emergency shelters.
H. Res. 201 honors, not only the four firefighters who died in the
blaze, but the firefighters who were injured in the fire while saving
the lives of two civilians.
All the firefighters who were in the Cascade Mountains that day, were
there to fulfill their promise to keep their communities safe by being
on the front lines against wild fires.
We honor them today for their bravery and a promise kept.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. McKEON. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution to
honor the Thirtymile Firefighters who lost their lives fighting the
fire in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Additionally, I
would like to pay special tribute to a courageous young woman from
Lancaster, CA, in my congressional district. Her selflessness and
heroic actions are to be recognized and celebrated.
[[Page H4401]]
On July 10, 2001, less than a month after completing her firefighter
training, Rebecca Welch's bravery, strength, and skill were tested to
the utmost degree. As part of a United States Forest Service fire crew,
she, along with fourteen other firefighters, was called upon to help
fight a smoldering 25-acre fire that ultimately turned into a raging
inferno that consumed more than 8,000 acres in a little more than a
week.
After recently receiving her degree in communications broadcast
journalism from the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota, Ms.
Welch considered the idea of being a firefighter after taking to heart
her father's suggestion to do so. I am sure Bruce and Paula Hagemeyer,
hikers who were caught in the fire, are grateful for that decision.
Finding themselves trapped and surrounded by flames, the crew and
civilians were forced to deploy fire shelters and endure the furious
fire. Ms. Welch courageously and selflessly covered the Hagemeyers with
her shelter and maintained a calm and controlled haven while flames
roared relentlessly outside. While undergoing several minutes of
suffocating heat, Ms. Welch provided a reassuring hope and protection
that saved the Hagemeyers' lives.
As we consider this resolution to honor these firefighters who lost
their lives (H. Res. 201), let us be grateful for their bravery and
sacrifice in service to the Nation. Let us extend our sympathies to the
families and fellow firefighters of these heroes. Finally, Madam
Speaker, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and admiration
to my constituent, Rebecca Welch, for her sacrifice, valor, and heroic
act of kindness.
Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution.
H. Res. 201 honors four United States Forest Service firefighters who
gave their lives fighting the Thirtymile Fire in the Cascade mountains
of Washington State earlier this month. For their bravery and
sacrifice, the nation owes a debt of gratitude to these four fallen
heroes--Tom Craven, Karen Fitzpatrick, Jessica Johnson, and Devin
Weaver--and to their families. When asked to risk their lives for the
Nation, these four answered the call and paid the ultimate price. To
the families of these four heroes, I want to take their opportunity to
say that our prayers are with you and that we will never forget their--
and your--sacrifice.
We owe a great debt to our firefighters--federal and municipal, paid
and volunteer. Our Nation's founders were deeply committed to the idea
that the individual had an obligation to serve the community and the
country. Our first responders are needed every bit as much as those who
don the Nation's uniforms for our national defense.
It is unfortunate that today many now consider duty and honor relics
of a bygone age. While our society lavishes praise on athletes and rock
stars, we tend to forget about those who stand ready at a moment's
notice to risk their lives to keep our communities safe. It is only
after disaster strikes that we appreciate fully the contributions they
make.
Despite the risks, the 1.2 million men and women of the fire services
continue to guard against fires, accidents, disasters, and terrorism.
They have kept faith with us, and we in this body must continue to keep
faith with them get them the support they need. As Chairman of the
Subcommittee on Research, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Fire
Administration, I am pleased that last year we were able to provide
$100 million to help local fire departments hire new firefighters,
purchase new safety equipment, and provide improved training, I hope we
can improve on that this year and so make sure that those who risk
their lives have the best equipment and training available.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Washington, Mr.
Hastings, for bringing this resolution before the House, and I urge my
colleagues to support it.
Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution
201, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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