[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 4, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2719]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 28, 2009

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House 
Resolution 729, a resolution honoring and celebrating this nation's 
firefighters with a ``National Firefighters' Memorial Day.'' In today's 
economic climate, we cannot forget the irreplaceable services that 
firefighters and first responders perform in our communities, often 
receiving as compensation only the personal fulfillment of making a 
difference.
  Take, for example, the volunteer fire department of Portland, 
Connecticut, a small town in the southern part of my district. The fire 
department in Portland was established in 1884 when a group of twenty-
five members of the community recognized that a bucket brigade was 
insufficient to fight the blazes that were devastating their downtown. 
They decided they could not stand by idly while friends and neighbors 
lost their homes and businesses. Today, the Portland volunteer fire 
department boasts sixty members, and the original firehouse still 
stands on Portland's Main Street, a symbol of the central role that our 
first responders play in our communities.
  The technology of firefighting has evolved significantly since the 
early days of the Portland volunteer fire department. I am proud to say 
that the fire department in Hartford is one of less than fifty 
departments, out of over 33,000 across the country, to earn the highest 
possible ranking for fire protection. This honor is no doubt a result 
of Hartford's position on the cutting edge of first responder 
technology. Hartford's fire department has been a trailblazer in using 
GIS mapping and GPS technology to make every first responder aware of 
hydrant locations, water main diameters, engine locations, and building 
footprints across the city, all to better serve Connecticut's capital 
city.
  Firefighters in Connecticut's First District also serve the thousands 
of people who use Bradley Airport each day. The Connecticut Commission 
on Fire Prevention and Control, established in 1975, is located in 
Windsor Locks, Connecticut, near the airport. Its facilities, with 
classrooms, a dive rescue training pool, burn structures, a training 
yard, and airplane and tanker props for passenger extrication drills, 
provide a state-of-the-art campus to train and coordinate first 
responder efforts across the state. It is because of Connecticut's 
dedication to providing resources and support to its firefighters that 
we boast some of the best in the nation.
  Connecticut's first district hosts thirty-seven fire houses, 
including Hartford's. Twenty-seven of these, including Portland's, are 
completely volunteer operations. Even when the men and women who make 
up these fire houses aren't selflessly protecting the lives of their 
friends and neighbors, you can see them out in their communities. They 
are working day jobs, teaching young people and engendering their 
passion for fire safety through school visits and Explorer programs, 
and participating in carnivals, spaghetti suppers, and fundraisers to 
pay for the equipment and training they need to stay at the top of 
their profession. The services that firefighters and first responders 
provide are priceless. The very least we can do is honor our first 
responders with a ``National Firefighters' Memorial Day,'' and 
recognize the crucial role they play in promoting our safety, security, 
and well-being.

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