[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 121 (Thursday, July 26, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S10141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RETIREMENT OF DAVID DEMAG

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I wish to take a moment to recognize the 
career of a real-life hero who stands tall as one of the bravest and 
most dedicated public servants we have in Vermont if not anywhere--
Police Chief David Demag of the town of Essex Police Department. After 
36 years in law enforcement, Dave will hang up his uniform early next 
month and enter a well-earned retirement.
  Dave comes from a family dedicated to police service--he is the 
fourth generation in his family to serve as a police officer. In fact, 
his great-grandfather and namesake, Chief David Demag, was the first 
chief of police of the Village of Essex in the early 1900s. It seems to 
me that it is only fitting that Dave will finish his law enforcement 
career in Essex, where his roots grow deep.
  I am proud to be able to call Dave not only an accomplished Vermonter 
but also a good friend. We have known each other for years, having both 
started our careers in law enforcement in the city of Burlington. Dave 
began in 1971 as a patrol officer for the Burlington Police Department, 
and was promoted through the ranks as corporal, detective, sergeant, 
lieutenant and, finally, commander. In 1996, he was appointed chief of 
police in St. Albans, a post he held until May 2001, when he was named 
to Chief of Police in Essex.
  When he began his law enforcement career in the early 1970s, Dave 
worked undercover on drug cases. One of the cases we worked together 
on--he as an undercover agent and me as the State's attorney for 
Chittenden County--set up a successful sting to catch Paul Lawrence, a 
corrupt cop who framed dozens of narcotics suspects. The Lawrence case 
remains the first item Dave cites as the most memorable moments of his 
professional life.
  Known for his ability to earn and command respect from his employees 
and the public he serves, Chief Demag has led the Essex Police 
Department with a steady hand and a calm presence. He is credited with 
revitalizing the Essex Police Department and changing the way it trains 
and promotes officers. As chief, he has emphasized continuing education 
for members of the force and required promotions to be based on ability 
rather than length of service.
  Dave's leadership was especially apparent last August when a gunman 
went on a shooting spree at three sites across Essex, including an 
elementary school, leaving two dead and three wounded, including the 
gunman himself. Taking swift and deliberate action, Dave and his 
officers ushered dozens of teachers and several children away from the 
chaos at Essex Elementary School and to safety as tactical-response 
officers wearing body armor and carrying automatic weapons moved in and 
surrounded the building.
  As a U.S. Senator, I have been privileged to work with Chief Demag 
and have his vocal support on an array of initiatives--from bulletproof 
vests to first responder funding--that have helped make the lives and 
work of Vermont's and our Nation's police officers a bit easier. But 
what stands out most in my mind is his unwavering support for the 
Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act, which became law in 2003 and 
expanded the Public Safety Officer Benefits, PSOB, Program by allowing 
survivors of public safety officers who suffer fatal heart attacks or 
strokes while acting in the line of duty to qualify for the Federal 
survivor benefits. Dave understood how important it was for that bill 
to become law because his father, special Deputy Sheriff Bernard Demag 
of the Chittenden County Sheriff's Office, suffered a fatal heart 
attack within 2 hours of his chase and apprehension of an escaped 
juvenile whom he had been transporting. The Demag family spent nearly 
two decades fighting in court for workers' compensation death benefits 
to no avail. What Dave and his family went through left no doubt in my 
mind that we should be treating the surviving families of officers who 
die in the line of duty with more decency and respect. Although Dave 
knew that his family would not receive survivor benefits under the PSOB 
law, he did not want other survivors of public safety officers to 
endure what his family suffered. It was a great day when I told Dave 
that the Hometown Heroes Act had finally been signed into law.
  In 2001, Chief Demag was appointed on my recommendation to serve on 
the 11-member U.S. Medal of Valor Review Board, which selects and 
recommends to the President public safety officers to receive the 
Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor. The Medal of Valor is the highest 
national award for valor by a public safety officer and is designed to 
recognize the extraordinary heroism of our police, firefighters and 
correctional officers. As a board member, Dave has worked faithfully to 
award the medal to his public safety officers who demonstrate 
extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty.
  I wish Dave and his wife Donna nothing but the best as they head into 
the next phase of their life together. I will say, however, that 
whoever Essex appoints as its next police chief will have the biggest 
of shoes to fill, as Dave Demag is the best kind of leader a community 
can hope for and he will be missed. Thank you, Dave, and 
congratulations for your service and commitment to the people of Essex 
and all Vermonters.
  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

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