[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 90 (Friday, June 25, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PAYING TRIBUTE TO LEVI BRINKLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT McINNIS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 24, 2004

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to the life and legacy of Levi Brinkley of Burns, Oregon. 
Levi 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 Levi 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 Levi 
and the Storm King Firefighters made on behalf of a grateful community, 
state and nation.
  A very outgoing and friendly person, Levi was a top honor student at 
Burns High School where he was an all-state football player and student 
body president. He attended Bend Community College where he received an 
associate degree in psychology, and was working toward a bachelor's 
degree in psychology. He became a firefighter at age eighteen, first 
with the Snow Mountain Ranger District, and then joining the Prineville 
Hotshots, an elite group of firefighters who specialize in wildland 
fire suppression. A true outdoorsman, Levi enjoyed bungee-jumping, 
skydiving, rock climbing, hunting, fishing, and skiing. 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 Levi 
Brinkley. Levi 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 young man.

                          ____________________