[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 76 (Thursday, May 10, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING RECRUIT CLASS 2017-02 OF THE PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY 
                     DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND RESCUE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 10, 2018

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the recent 
graduates of the Prince William County Public Safety Academy. These men 
and women will soon join the ranks of those who have served and 
continue to serve in the Prince William County Department of Fire and 
Rescue.
   Since its inception in 1966, the Department of Fire and Rescue has 
led the way. In 1967, Prince William County became the first 
jurisdiction on the East Coast to implement the 911 System. That same 
year, Prince William became the first county in the Commonwealth of 
Virginia and the National Capital Region to implement a physical 
ability exam for career firefighters. In 1994, Mary Beth Michos was 
hired as Chief and became the first female fire and rescue chief of a 
metro-sized department. The Prince William County Department of Fire 
and Rescue continues to maintain one of the most forward-thinking 
combination fire departments in the country, and its legacy of 
``firsts'' continues. It is one of only three jurisdictions in the 
Commonwealth of Virginia with delegated training authority, granted by 
the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.
   Each member of the recruit class has successfully completed a 
rigorous application process, followed by more than 1,200 hours of 
exhaustive academic and physical training over the course of 28 weeks. 
Upon successful completion of this program, each recruit is eligible to 
graduate and become a Fire and Rescue Technician with the Prince 
William County Department of Fire and Rescue.
   The training and certification required to achieve the status of a 
Fire and Rescue Technician cannot be accomplished without significant 
dedication and hard work. Today's graduates have completed more than 
600 hours of the required coursework for certification in 
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Infection Control, Certified Scrum 
Master (CSM), Emergency Medical Training (EMT-Basic), Firefighter I, 
Firefighter II, Emergency Vehicle Operator Course 2, Emergency Vehicle 
Operator Course 3, Flashover Simulation, Rapid Intervention Training 
(RIT), Mayday, Hazmat Awareness/Operations, Swift Water Rescue 
Awareness, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) with Simulation, Rural Water 
Supply, Basic Life Support (BLS) Protocols, Rope Rescue Awareness, 
Vehicle Rescue Awareness, and Child Passenger Safety Seat Instillation.
   It is my honor to include in the Record the following names of the 
Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue recruit class 
graduates:
   William Allen, Tyler Barnikel, Jadon Carr, Joshua Castellanos, Brice 
Deible, Samuel Gorham, Lucas Gray, Kurt Hagen, David Hufford, Brandon 
Jacobs, Jeremy Lonas, Damian Lyles, Corey Mcfarland, Seth McGregor, 
Marcio Midence, Jharray Neal, Adam Negvesky, Jordan Rigney, Christopher 
Sager, Dante Sanders, Ian Sheedy, Michael Smith, Jesus Tapia-Lima, 
Sophia Therriault, Robert Traver, Ryan Turlik, Brooke Wallace, and 
Nicholas White.
   As the newest members of the Department of Fire and Rescue, the 
aforementioned graduates join the department as integral parts of the 
emergency response and community safety team.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the 
newest members of the Prince William County Department of Fire and 
Rescue. I am confident that recruit class 2017-02 will serve the 
residents of Prince William County with honor and distinction. In the 
tradition of their new firefighting family, I say: ``Stay safe.''

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