[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19705]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      VIGIL FOR CAPTAIN NATHAN PECHACEK, LAS VEGAS FIRE DEPARTMENT

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, it is often known that in times of crisis, 
family and friends join together to support one another, and today that 
is exactly what is happening in Las Vegas, Nevada, for Captain Nathan 
Pechacek of the Las Vegas Fire Department.
  Earlier this week Captain Pechacek was seriously injured as his car 
was crushed and knocked on to its side by a drunk driver. Within 
minutes, fire fighters from Pechacek's own station arrived on the scene 
to rescue the injured driver from the wreck, not even knowing at first 
that the injured driver was their own captain.
  Now, Captain Pechacek's fellow firefighters are keeping a vigil at 
the hospital, during which they have organized a blood drive to help 
him and others and volunteered to help Captain Pechecek's son with his 
homework in his father's absence.
  We all wish Captain Pechacek a full and speedy recovery and his 
family strength during this difficult time. And to all those Las Vegas 
firefighters, we commend you on your heroism and loyalty.
  Finally, I would like to end with a comment made by Las Vegas Fire 
Chief Mario Trevino. He said that they ``always treat an accident like 
it was our mother or father or sister or brother. This time it really 
was.''

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