[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 90 (Friday, June 25, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PAYING TRIBUTE TO KATHI BECK

                                 ______
                                 

                           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 Kathi Beck of Eugene, Oregon. 
Kathi 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 town. 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 Kathi and her 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 Kathi 
and the Storm King Firefighters made on behalf of a grateful community, 
state and nation.
  An active outdoorswoman, Kathi was an ardent rock and mountain 
climber. She was a senior at the University of Oregon where she was 
majoring in psychology and had taken wilderness survival classes 
through the university's outdoor program. With her unique background in 
psychology and the wilderness, Kathi planned to design an outdoor 
recreational therapy program for children. She became a member of the 
Prineville Hotshots, an elite group of firefighters who specialize in 
wildland fire suppression, due to her love of nature and adventurous 
spirit. She also served as a member of the Oregon Army National Guard's 
419th Signal Detachment, and had previously served with the Guard's 
741st Service and Supply Battalion at Camp Withycombe, Oregon.
  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 Kathi 
Beck. Kathi personified the Hotshots credo of Safety, Teamwork and 
Professionalism; putting herself in harms way for unfamiliar people and 
places. She made the ultimate sacrifice doing what she loved, and I, 
along with the Glenwood Springs community and the State of Colorado are 
eternally grateful to this brave young woman.

                          ____________________