[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 139 (Wednesday, December 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S12052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 COMMENDING VERGENNES FIRE CHIEF RALPH JACKMAN FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Ralph 
Jackman of Vergennes, VT. Mr. Jackman has been reporting for duty as 
chief of the Vergennes Fire Department for 50 years--since December 1, 
1954.
  Chief Jackman started with the fire department 8 years before he took 
over as chief. During his tenure a new station was built, the number of 
firefighters doubled, the number of vehicles tripled, and the budget 
more than quadrupled.
  Though at 80 years of age Chief Jackman has given up fighting the 
fires himself, he continues to respond to calls and manage the 
volunteer department's paperwork and affairs.
  I congratulate Chief Jackman and his family for over 50 years of 
service to the City of Vergennes and the State of Vermont. He has 
selflessly given so much to his community.
  I ask unanimous consent that an editorial that appeared in today's 
Burlington Free Press be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             [From the Burlington Free Press, Dec. 8, 2004]

                      Opinion: True Public Servant

       Rare is the modern-day employee who stays in a job 
     throughout his adult lifetime.
       In sharp contrast stands Ralph Jackman, who has committed 
     the last 50 years to the Vergennes Fire Department. That 
     surely makes him one of the longest serving fire chiefs in 
     the nation.
       Jackman became chief of the department on Dec. 1, 1954, 
     eight years after joining the force. And at age 80, don't 
     expect him to retire anytime soon. Jackman's not actually 
     battling blazes these days, but he's still in the thick of 
     the action by managing the volunteer department's paperwork 
     and overseeing the changes that have brought this fire 
     department into the 21st century.
       Among those changes was construction of a new fire station 
     and a doubling of the number of firefighters.
       He has also seen destruction and death. Jackman recalls in 
     1948 following a fire engine on the way to a blaze, and 
     watching the engine crash into an oncoming car, leaving 
     firefighter Lee Schroder dead.
       His most memorable blaze was the Feb. 24, 1958, fire that 
     destroyed much of downtown Vergennes. He was an eyewitness to 
     an event that shaped the spirit of a small Vermont city.
       His devotion to his community was honored last weekend at a 
     gathering that drew Gov. Jim Douglas and Vergennes Mayor 
     Kitty Oxholm. .
       The nation came to understand the depth of that commitment 
     on 9/11, when so many of New York City's firefighters lost 
     their lives trying to save victims of the terrorist attacks 
     on the World Trade Centers. Vermont firefighters don't face 
     that extreme scenario, but they put their lives on the line 
     every time they roll to a scene to protect their neighbors.
       Jackman recently said, ``Being chief is just a privilege 
     and an honor.''
       However, it is the people of Vergennes who have been 
     honored by his 50 years of service to their community.

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