[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H31-H32]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE MEMORY OF FIREFIGHTER LIEUTENANT MATT LeTOURNEAU

  (Mr. MEEHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MEEHAN. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today 
to honor the memory of Philadelphia firefighter Lieutenant Matt 
LeTourneau, who is also a long-time member of the Springfield Fire 
Company in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

[[Page H32]]

  Lieutenant LeTourneau tragically died Saturday evening, giving his 
life protecting his community while battling a row house fire in 
subfreezing temperatures in the city of Philadelphia.
  Matt graduated from Cardinal O'Hara High School in 1993 in Delaware 
County, and he served 11 years as a member of the Philadelphia Fire 
Department. He joined the Springfield Fire Company in 1991 at the age 
of 16, and he served and continued to serve as an instructor at the 
Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center, where he was 
praised by his colleagues for his skill and the knowledge that he 
passed on to them about how to keep themselves safe.
  He served his community with dedication, commitment, and courage, his 
colleagues said. ``We took a big loss in the fire service,'' J.J. 
Bonsall, one of his closest friends said. ``He was one of the greatest 
firefighters we know.''
  He was also a participant in something called Redpaw Emergency Relief 
Team, making sure that animals that are harmed in fires have a safe 
place.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Lieutenant Matt LeTourneau for his service and 
sacrifice for the community that he loved. The condolences and 
gratitude of an entire region are with his mother, with his extended 
family, his friends, and the firefighters from Springfield and 
Philadelphia fire companies.

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