[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     H.R. 6464, THE ``FIREFIGHTER SAFETY ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2010''

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                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 1, 2010

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 6464, the 
``Firefighter Safety Enhancement Act of 2010''. This bill helps address 
the needs of this country's dedicated heroes--our firefighters--who 
risk their lives every day as they race to save ours. Many of these 
brave men and women, whether they are volunteer, on-call, or career 
firefighters, are in dire need of new and up-to-date fire stations and 
training facilities. We truly need to address this matter, because 
their duties already place firefighters' lives and health in danger, 
and we should not allow them to work in facilities that also put them 
at risk.
  I have seen firsthand in my own district that our fire stations are 
deteriorating and many are beyond repair. In Virginia, Minnesota, the 
fire station is more than 100 years old. It was originally designed for 
horse-drawn apparatus, and the floor is so stressed that giant timbers 
have been used to support the structure so the fire engines do not fall 
through the floor into the basement. In Pine City and Hoyt Lakes, 
Minnesota, the fire stations outlived their usefulness decades ago.
  We expect our Nation's firefighters to protect us, and yet we have 
not provided them with the necessary fire stations and training 
facilities that help us protect them. When he was running for President 
a number of years ago, Senator John Kerry said, ``we shouldn't be 
opening firehouses in Baghdad and closing them down in our own 
communities.'' That message remains as true today as it was then.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6464, the 
``Firefighter Safety Enhancement Act of 2010''.

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