[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17947]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 EXPRESSING WHOLEHEARTED GRATITUDE AND PRIDE FOR OUR BRAVE AND HEROIC 
                          EMERGENCY PERSONNEL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on September 11, the world 
watched in horror as the primary symbols of our Nation's strength and 
prosperity were attacked. There is an aching in our hearts as we mourn 
for the senseless loss of life, and we share the grief of the victims' 
families, friends, and coworkers.
  As the list of casualties from the World Trade Towers, from the 
Pentagon, and from Pennsylvania grows to 6,500, it is frightening to 
imagine that the toll would have been higher, even higher, were it not 
for the extraordinary courage and valor exhibited by our firefighters, 
police officers, and emergency rescue workers. For this reason I rise 
today to pay homage to all emergency service personnel, but 
particularly to the brave and heroic men and women of the Arlington 
County, City of Alexandria, and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue 
Department and Police Department. These, along with the Federal 
firefighters at Fort Myer, are the emergency service personnel who 
first responded to the attack on the Pentagon.
  If there is one thing that distinguishes firefighters from the rest 
of us, it is that they are trained to run toward a blaze while the rest 
of us run away from it. Every day, these men and women face risks and 
challenges that few of us can relate to. With little regard for their 
own safety and well-being, these firefighters responded within minutes 
after the attack to the Pentagon. The Arlington County Fire Department 
and Police Department, which have primary responsibility for first 
response at the Pentagon, were among the first emergency teams to 
arrive at the scene of the plane crash.
  Firefighters and emergency medical service personnel from Arlington 
and assisted by response teams from around the area courageously fought 
the flames, rescued victims trapped inside the building, and treated 
and transported the injured. A few days after the attack, I had the 
opportunity to tour the destruction site at the Pentagon. In the midst 
of the ruins and the lingering smoke, the firefighters were working 
around the clock to extinguish the blaze and continue with rescue and 
recovery efforts. Response teams from the entire D.C. area, including 
fire and rescue teams from Fort Myer, the Metropolitan Washington 
Airport Authority, the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and many 
localities are to be commended for their bravery and lifesaving 
efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my wholehearted gratitude toward 
these men and women who are responsible for saving so many lives. 
Together with the firefighters and police of New York City, they 
reminded all of us of what it means to exhibit courage and valor. It is 
with great pride and admiration that I rise today to honor these 
firefighters and rescue personnel for their commitment on behalf of our 
country.
  I want to particularly commend Fire Chief Ed Plaugher of the 
Arlington County Fire Department and Police Chief Ed Flynn for their 
leadership during this terrible time in our community. The fire chief 
and police chief of Alexandria and those of Fairfax County also were 
able to command their forces with the kind of courage and immediate 
responsiveness that reflects their professional dedication, their 
selflessness and unwavering dedication which is an inspiration to all 
Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, history will show that during a time of one of America's 
greatest tragedies, a heroic group of firefighters, police officers, 
emergency personnel, and volunteers from around the Washington 
Metropolitan area brought our community and our country immense pride 
and honor.

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