[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 89 (Thursday, June 24, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PAYING TRIBUTE TO ROGER ROTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2004

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to the life and legacy of Roger Roth. Roger bravely battled 
the Storm King Mountain Fire outside the town of Glenwood Springs, 
Colorado in 1994, but succumbed to the blaze along with thirteen fellow 
firefighters while working to protect the City. I personally served as 
a firefighter and understand the risks they face each and everyday. 
Witnessing the awful inferno that fateful July day, I know Roger and 
his comrades battled the fire with the utmost courage and valor. With 
the tenth anniversary of the Storm King Fire approaching, I believe it 
appropriate to recognize the sacrifice Roger and the Storm King 
Firefighters made on behalf of a grateful community, state and Nation.
  A member of the Oneida tribe of the Iroquois Nation, Roger grew up in 
Michigan and attended Northern Michigan University. He spent seven 
summers as a trail crew leader at Isle Royale National Park on Lake 
Superior. He became a firefighter in 1989, first as a hotshot, an elite 
group of firefighters who specialize in wildland fire suppression, and 
then became a smokejumper, providing initial attack on forest fires in 
remote, mountainous areas. He worked winters for the Fish & Wildlife 
Service at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and was a 
private helicopter pilot. An avid outdoorsman, Roger enjoyed fishing 
and hunting. He was a hard worker and dedicated member of his crew. 
Above all, he was devoted to his family and friends.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise before this body of Congress and 
this nation to pay tribute to the life and memory of Firefighter Roger 
Roth. Roger personified the Hotshots credo of Safety, Teamwork, and 
Professionalism; putting himself in harms way for unfamiliar people and 
places. He made the ultimate sacrifice doing what he loved, and I, 
along with the Glenwood Springs community and the State of Colorado are 
eternally grateful to this brave man.

                          ____________________