[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE CAREER OF WINTER PARK FIRE CHIEF JIM WHITE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. STEPHANIE N. MURPHY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 12, 2018

  Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Jim White, 
chief of the Winter Park Fire Department, who will be retiring in May 
after over 35 years of public service in the firefighting profession.
  Chief White began his career in firefighting only a few miles from 
here as a volunteer at the Arlington County Fire Department in Virginia 
before moving to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he worked for ten 
years as a professional firefighter. Chief White later established 
roots in Winter Park, where he has spent the last fifteen years as our 
city's top firefighter.
  Some might say firefighting is the White family business. His father 
also volunteered as a firefighter, and his brother went on to become 
the deputy fire chief of the same Arlington fire station where White 
began his career. These men exemplify courage--running in while others 
are running out.
  But whether it is because firefighting is in his family's DNA or 
because of his own passion for the job, it is clear that Chief White is 
both a capable leader and a dedicated public servant. During his tenure 
as the Winter Park Fire Chief, he oversaw the development of the city's 
first emergency management office, the improvement of several of the 
city's fire safety accreditations, and the construction of Winter 
Park's own public safety facility.
  Chief White's achievements did not go unnoticed. In 2008, the 
International City Management Association awarded Winter Park its 
``Community Health and Safety Program Excellence Award'' in recognition 
of an effort led by Chief White to modernize the city's fleet of 
ambulances, making it safer for rescue personnel to save lives. And, in 
2014, Chief White received the Florida Fire Chiefs' Association's 
``Fire Chief of the Year Award'' for his service to the public and his 
contributions to the fire service as a whole.
  Although Chief White's leadership and experience will surely be 
missed at the department, he will leave an incredible legacy for others 
to follow. As a Winter Park resident myself, I want to personally thank 
Chief Jim White for his remarkable career in public service, and I wish 
Jim and his entire family all the best as they enter this new and 
exciting chapter in their lives.
  May God bless Chief White and our brave firefighters and first 
responders across this nation who put their lives on the line to keep 
us safe