[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 121 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3603-H3604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING NEWARK FIREFIGHTERS AUGUSTO ``AUGIE'' ACABOU AND WAYNE BROOKS, 
                                  JR.

  (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two Newark 
firefighters who last week made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of 
duty.
  Firefighters Augusto ``Augie'' Acabou and Wayne Brooks, Jr., were 
some of the first responders to an incredibly devastating fire at the 
Port of Newark in New Jersey.
  With the instinct that only the men and women who proudly serve in 
fire departments across the country have, they went straight to the 
heart of the battle encountering a scene unlike any they have ever 
experienced in their careers, but they never hesitated.
  They put it all on the line, and they made the ultimate sacrifice. 
They leave behind their families. They leave

[[Page H3604]]

behind their friends. They leave behind their brothers and sisters in 
the Newark Fire Department.
  We must carry Augie and Wayne with us, carry on their legacies, carry 
on their memories, and that is what we will do. On behalf of every 
resident made safer by people like Augie and Wayne, we extend our 
deepest condolences to their family, friends, and fellow firefighters.
  We commit ourselves to protecting our firefighters and ensuring they 
have everything they need to safely return home to their families. 
Today, we mourn the loss of these two incredible individuals.

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