[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNITION OF LIEUTENANT DAVID WALLACE

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                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 4, 2005

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary 
public servant. Lieutenant David Wallace has served the people of 
Litchfield, Illinois, for over 20 years as a firefighter and a training 
officer for first responders. Like all firefighters, he has dedicated 
his career to protecting the people of his community.
  But on June 7 of last year, Lieutenant Wallace went above and beyond 
the call of duty, even for his noble profession. Just after midnight, a 
9-1-1 dispatcher reported people trapped in a fire in a mobile home 
just two blocks from Lieutenant Wallace's own home. Though off duty, he 
rushed out the door and was the first rescuer on the scene. Upon 
arrival, he noted the heavy black smoke billowing out of the building's 
back porch. Knowing that there was an individual trapped in the home, 
but also aware that his own safety equipment was aboard a fire truck 
that was yet to arrive, Lieutenant Wallace made a split-second, life-
or-death decision to enter the burning building and attempt a rescue.
  Once inside, Lieutenant Wallace found a man on the floor, unconscious 
with a weak pulse. Relying on his firefighter training and his 
instincts, Lieutenant Wallace crawled the ten feet between the door and 
the victim, and began to drag the man out of the burning building. Just 
as he reached the door, the first pumper truck reached the scene, and a 
fire captain and an EMT arrived to assist in the rescue. The victim was 
rushed to St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield and is alive today thanks 
to the brave efforts of Lieutenant David Wallace.
  At this year's annual ceremony in Springfield, Illinois, Lieutenant 
David Wallace will be awarded the Firefighting Medal of Honor for his 
actions that night. I want to congratulate Lieutenant Wallace, his wife 
Mary and his son Michael on this award, and thank David Wallace for his 
commitment to protecting the lives of the people of Litchfield, 
Illinois.




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