[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING STEVEN HALL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 16, 2015

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor 
Patterson Fire Department and West Stanislaus Fire District Chief 
Steven Hall, who announced his retirement after serving 25 years in 
Patterson.
  Chief Hall's career in firefighting started in 1990 when he came on 
as a volunteer firefighter. He worked full-time at Costco throughout 
his 11-year tenure as a volunteer for the Patterson and West Stanislaus 
fire departments. During that time, he took emergency medical 
technician training, served as an engineer and became the local 
training officer. In 1998, Hall became the area's first sworn-in arson 
investigator, which was still a volunteer position at the time.
  During Steven's 11 years as a volunteer firefighter, he was also 
earning an education. He obtained his associate's degree in fire 
science from Modesto Junior College and, shortly after, attained his 
bachelor's degree in occupational studies from CSU Long Beach. Through 
the Grand Canyon University in Arizona, Steven earned a master's degree 
in leadership, with an emphasis in emergency preparedness and executive 
fire leadership.
  In 2001, Hall finally accepted a paid position with the Patterson 
Fire Department as the Fire Marshall/Division Chief. At that time, 
then-Chief Richard Gaiser, Division Chief James Kinnear, and Hall were 
the only career staff of the West Stanislaus district and Patterson 
Fire. The Patterson department later doubled in size in 2005 when Mike 
Ambrosino and Michael McLaughlin joined as the first career 
firefighters.
  In 2011, Steven was promoted to Fire Chief. As Chief, he helped guide 
the department from a fully volunteer organization to one that now has 
both career and volunteer men and women. His priority as chief has been 
personnel development as well as establishing a new way of promoting 
the men and women from within the department. Under Chief Hall, 
Patterson Fire Department has seen many advances such as its first 
strategic plan which instituted a community emergency response team and 
fire prevention programs, all while staying under budget for the last 
four years. With the advancements and improvements of the Patterson 
Fire Department, the city's public protection classification has been 
reduced from a Class-4 to a Class-2, with a Class-1 being the best, by 
the Insurance Services Office.
  Chief Hall may be resigning from the Patterson Fire Department but 
his career is far from over. He has accepted the assistant fire chief 
position at the Central Fire Protection District in Santa Cruz County. 
This move will give him and his wife April, the opportunity to spend 
more time with their children and new grandchild.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending the 
outstanding contributions made to the Patterson Fire Department and 
West Stanislaus Fire District by Chief Steven Hall and hereby wish him 
continued success.

                          ____________________