[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 113 (Wednesday, September 13, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FRENCH VILLAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 13, 2006

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing the 60th anniversary of the French Village Fire 
Department located in St. Clair County, Illinois.
  In 1946, residents in the Dutch Hollow and French Village 
neighborhoods took action to provide fire protection for their 
communities by forming the French Village Fire Department. Initial 
funding for this new department came from bake sales and raffles, but 
they were able to purchase a fire engine from Towers Fire Apparatus in 
nearby Freeburg, Illinois. The first firehouse was located on a 
resident's property off Rural Route 5, which is now 2nd Avenue in 
Fairview Heights.
  Raising funds for the department was a struggle during the early 
years in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Picnics, dances and fish fries 
were some of the fund-raising activities that were required to keep the 
department operational. Through an election in 1953, the French Village 
Fire District was formed. This provided tax revenue so that the fire 
department could begin to plan for equipment, supplies, and ongoing 
operations.
  In addition to growth in residential property, the early years were 
also marked by tragedy. In 1952, firemen Frank Robinson and Francis 
Johnson, Jr., lost their lives when their fire truck was struck while 
en route to a call. In 1954, another firefighter, Paul Hodson, suffered 
a fatal heart attack while fighting a vehicle fire. This second tragedy 
provided the stimulus for the department to provide better emergency 
care.
  The next decades saw continued growth for the French Village Fire 
Department. Additional trucks and advanced equipment were added to keep 
pace with the growing population as well as the new advances in 
technology.
  In the 1980s an effort at the ballot to disband the department was 
defeated and a bond issue was passed to replace aging equipment and 
build a second fire station. The 1990s saw the opening of the new 
station and the department's 50th anniversary. In the new century, the 
French Village Fire Department continued to expand and improve with the 
addition of a 75-ft. aerial ladder.
  The French Village Fire Department has been a shining example of 
dedication and professionalism, made possible by the sacrifices that 
their firefighters and their families have made since 1946. Their 
compassion, valor, and unselfish acts of courage make each of them an 
everyday hero.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the 60th anniversary of 
the French Village Fire Department and to wish the best to them for 
continued service in the future.

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