[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 26, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PROCLAMATION--POLICE-FIRE MERGER PLATINUM ANNIVERSARY, KALAMAZOO 
                      DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. FRED UPTON

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 26, 2003

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Kalamazoo 
Department of Public Safety. In 1983, it was determined that the 
combination of Kalamazoo police and fire services could serve as an 
effective method of providing more efficient and productive use of 
resources and employees. By cross-training personnel in both 
disciplines, the fire department's 164 firefighters and the police 
department's 219 law enforcement positions were consolidated into 383 
multifunctional employees. This streamlining provided an excellent 
public safety service to the community while minimizing expenses. The 
Department of Public Safety has continued to evolve and improve since 
its inception--forming specialty units and services and using state of 
the art technology. Today, the department is the largest public safety 
organization in the country, with 315 highly trained and educated 
employees, and 2003 marks the 20th year of these combined police and 
fire services. I wish them many more years of continued success.

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