[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 111 (Wednesday, June 28, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E914-E915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING LA CROSSE FIRE CHIEF GREGG CLEVELAND ON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 28, 2017

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of the career of La 
Crosse Fire Chief Gregg Cleveland, who will be retiring in June of 
2017. He has served as a firefighter for more than 36 years, including 
11 years as the La Crosse Fire Chief.
   Chief Cleveland's years of service as a firefighter are exemplary in 
every respect. He earned an Associate Degree in Fire Protection from 
Fox Valley Technical College, a Bachelor's degree in Business 
Administration from Lakeland College, and a Master's Degree in Public 
Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He is also a 
graduate of the Executive Fire Officer's program.
   Chief Cleveland began his career more than three decades ago with 
the Menasha Fire Department. He then served as Chief of the Marshfield 
Fire Department for 15 years, and later took over as chief of the La 
Crosse Fire Department in 2006. In addition to this service in fire 
departments, Chief Cleveland has also been active in other firefighting 
organizations, including the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association, 
where he served as President and advocated for the organization on 
numerous issues. He also served with the National Fire Protection 
Association (NFPA), where he was a member of NFPA's North Central 
Regional Fire Code Development Committee, and served as Secretary of 
NFPA's Fire Service Section.
   Under Chief Cleveland's leadership, the City of La Crosse has seen 
numerous changes for the better in the fire service industry. In 2014, 
the La Crosse Fire Department received international accreditation, 
demonstrating the quality of the Department. That same year, he was 
instrumental in consolidating the La Crosse Building and Inspection 
Department into the Fire Department, which created a new Division of 
Fire Prevention and Building Safety. He also helped the Department lead 
the way on health issues, making the Department one of the first in the 
state to carry an opioid overdose antidote.
  Chief Cleveland's leadership was crucial to the City of La Crosse 
when the city faced emergency situations and natural disasters. These 
included an EF2 tornado that struck the south side of La Crosse in 2011 
and a building explosion on the north side of the city in 2014. Thanks 
to Chief Cleveland's leadership, the City of La Crosse has been able to 
recover from these situations and continue to grow and prosper.
   It has been an honor for me to serve as U.S. Representative for 
Wisconsin's Third Congressional District during Chief Cleveland's 
tenure in La Crosse. He will be greatly missed by the La Crosse Fire 
Department and the people he helped throughout his career. On behalf of 
my constituents in Wisconsin and a grateful nation, I would like to 
thank and commend Chief Cleveland for his years of service in the fire 
service industry. I wish him and his family all the best in his 
retirement.

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