[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 98 (Tuesday, June 6, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E528]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE VISION AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CAPTAIN TOM KIURSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to a first responder, a 
community leader, and a visionary in the firefighting world. Captain 
Tom Kiurski of the Brighton Area Fire Authority has dedicated 43 years 
to the service and protection of the community. He has also helped 
build a training program that has become a model for the state and the 
nation. As he now prepares to hang up his gear, it is fitting that we 
celebrate the profound difference he has made and the legacy he leaves 
behind.
  According to an old proverb, luck is what happens when preparation 
meets opportunity, and that was clearly the case when Captain Kiurski 
came to Brighton in 2012. Kiurski was a veteran fire instructor, having 
taught many college-level classes, and Michigan law had recently 
changed to allow high school students to begin training at age 16 and 
receive provisional firefighting certification at 18. Another stroke of 
luck found fellow firefighter Mike Witt at the helm of the Howell 
Public Schools Board of Education, and a collaboration between the two 
of them, with the support of local schools, departments, and the 
community, transformed some unused classrooms at Howell High School 
into a state-of-the-art, realistic fire station setting for training 
for high school students.
  Since its inception 10 years ago, more than 250 Livingston County 
students have successfully completed the Howell Fire Academy, finishing 
high school with firefighting certifications they obtained at no cost, 
ready to immediately step into action to serve their communities and 
fill a tangible need as first responders. Over the past decade, the 
program has grown in size and scope, moving to a new location and 
attracting students and instructors from far and wide. None of this 
would have been possible had it not been for Captain Tom Kiurski.
  I wish all good things for Captain Kiurski as he begins this new and 
well-earned chapter in retirement, and I hope that it brings him and 
his wife Nancy all the opportunities they have been waiting for to 
travel and enjoy their extended family. No matter how you define 
``luck,'' there's no question the Livingston County community is beyond 
fortunate to have reaped the benefits of his service. For all he has 
given and for what he has helped to build, I ask that his extraordinary 
career and accomplishments in launching the Howell Fire Academy be 
forever remembered.

                          ____________________