[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 18, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS OF LONG ISLAND

  (Mr. BISHOP of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
honor the courageous volunteer fire departments of Long Island for 
their skill and dedication in combating the recent outbreaks of 
wildfires in my district. Once again, they have proved their mettle and 
won our trust and admiration.
  While, thankfully, no lives were lost, the fire, now extinguished, 
consumed roughly 1,100 acres, destroyed three homes, and damaged or 
destroyed six other structures, including one commercial building. If 
not for the actions of our local firefighters, the damage could have 
been far worse.
  We are also fortunate that the three firefighters who were injured 
fighting the fire are all recovering well.
  As a lifelong resident of Suffolk County, I was inspired by the 
willingness to help shown by the county's fire departments, all 109 of 
which participated in the effort to combat what turned out to be the 
seventh-largest fire in Long Island history. Through their combined and 
coordinated efforts, a larger crisis was averted.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in thanking all of Suffolk 
County's Fire Departments, as well as our local elected leaders who 
supervised this operation, for their dedication and exceptional skill 
in subduing the recent fires.

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