[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 162 (Wednesday, November 28, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  TRIBUTE TO FIREFIGHTER ANGEL JUARBE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 28, 2001

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Firefighter 
Angel Juarbe of FDNY Ladder 12, a national hero who gave his life to 
save many others during the September 11th attack on the World Trade 
Center.
  Angel Juarbe, a valiant firefighter, was a Bronx native and resident 
for his short 35 years of life. Members of his community and family 
have felt a gaping hole in their lives since Angel's passing. They are 
not alone, and like the thousands of other family members and friends 
of those lost in the national tragedies, they have become survivors of 
September 11th. One of Angel's brothers, Ed, said of him, ``He always 
wanted to help the less fortunate.'' Another of Angel's brothers, 
Charles, is a New York City Police officer who searched desperately for 
his brother after the second World Trade Center tower came down. Angel 
Juarbe was a beloved son, brother, and uncle.
  Mr. Speaker, Angel had entered a hotel connected to the second tower, 
moments after the first had gone down. He and fellow firefighters 
rescued a number of people trapped in the building and as they moved up 
floors, made the judgement call to disencumber themselves for easier 
maneuvering by leaving behind some of their emergency equipment, namely 
their large supply of rope. After an undiscernible amount of time, the 
firefighters were called to evacuate the structure. Before they could 
all escape the collapsing building, staircases crumbled and Angel and 
his comrades realized that they needed the rope to rappel down to 
safety. Angel and a fellow firefighter retrieved the rope and made 
their way back up to the stranded men. On the way, they came across 
another firefighter in peril and while they assisted this individual, 
the second World Trade Center tower collapsed bringing down the joined 
hotel.
  Shortly before his tragic death on that infamous day, Angel had 
become a momentary television star thanks to his stint on Fox's reality 
show ``Murder in Small Town X.'' Angel emerged the victor of this 
program which placed regular individuals in the roles of investigators 
in a fictitious town beleaguered by a serial murderer. Angel earned 
quite a few fans throughout the airing of the show and today a number 
of webpages are dedicated to his memory by these devoted fans who felt 
like they knew the charming New Yorker. Angel, who solved the mystery 
and caught the ``killer,'' was awarded $250,000 and a brand new Jeep 
Cherokee. He told a reporter after winning the show that he was giving 
part of his winnings to his father so that he could retire. He said 
that another part was going to help his nieces and nephews with their 
educations.
  Mr. Speaker, the number of heroes emerging from the events on 
September 11th continues to grow. Our firefighters, police officers, 
and rescue workers who risked their lives daily before September 11th 
and have everyday since, are national treasures. I ask my colleagues to 
join me today in commemorating one of these treasured heroes; Angel 
Juarbe.

                          ____________________