[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 7, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E189]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING BROWNSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VICENTE GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 7, 2023

  Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
four courageous police officers, who risked their lives providing aid 
to two people who escaped a burning car and rescuing another two people 
from the car on January 28, 2023, in Brownsville, Texas.
  Brownsville, Texas is home to over 187,000 residents who are served 
by the Brownsville Police Department. Their unwavering commitment to 
the protection of our communities was put on nationwide display when 
Brownsville was named the 16th safest city in the United States. Their 
work was more recently recognized due to the lifesaving cooperation 
between the Brownsville PD and other emergency services personnel on 
January 28.
  At the 2:00 a.m. hour of January 28, first responders were called to 
the scene of a single-vehicle crash. When the officers arrived, they 
discovered the vehicle had been flipped over. While 2 men had managed 
to escape with noticeable injuries, there was a time-sensitive 
emergency still happening in the vehicle. The officers were notified of 
2 others still trapped in the burning vehicle and they quickly reacted 
to save their lives. Body cam footage showed the dramatic situation as 
police officers pulled these 2 men to safety, who were actively being 
burned inside the vehicle, which was still engulfed in flames.
  With amazing assistance from the Brownsville Fire Department, Patrol 
Officer Erik Balboa, Officer Erick Amaro, Officer Federico Jaramillo, 
and Officer Gilberto Hernandez were able to breach the burning 
vehicle's doors and save the people in the car.
  Our first responders are often unsung heroes, but today we get the 
amazing opportunity to praise and thank the Brownsville Police 
Department for their heroic work and for their constant commitment to 
the safety and security of South Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, Officers Balboa, Amaro, Jaramillo, and Hernandez, the 
Brownsville Police Department, and all first responders who dedicate 
their lives to our amazing communities, and thank them. I have no doubt 
that these heroes will continue to go above and beyond to provide 
lifesaving support to those in need, and I am forever thankful for 
their service to our community.

                          ____________________