[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18743]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS VOLUNTEER FIRE 
                               DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 17, 2003

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join 
me in recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Hollywood Heights Fire 
Department.
  In December 1952, a group of local men decided that the area needed a 
Fire Department. The first charter members, Jack Frost, John Hurt, Roy 
Reynolds, Neal Butler, W. Gebbard, John Sharp, Jack Caldwell, Bob 
Williams, Oma Rust, Walter Leicht and Guy Anderson went door-to-door 
and business-to-business asking for donations to start a new Fire 
Department to serve the Hollywood Heights community.
  On August 26, 1953, the Hollywood Heights Volunteer Fire Department 
was officially formed. Several of the Department's charter members put 
their own homes up for collateral to purchase the first fire truck for 
the department, which was a 1953 International. While this new truck 
was being built, Towers Fire Apparatus let the department borrow a 1937 
Studebaker Fire Truck, which contained a 300-gallon water holding tank.
  Hollywood Heights' first Fire House was located at the Community 
Center next to Hollywood Heights School from 1953 until 1955. The 
Department held picnics and bake sales to purchase the present property 
and a two bay building. A larger two bay building was built in 1963 to 
allow for additional space, which provided a meeting room, offices and 
expanded bay areas for the rescue and brush fire truck.
  In 1976, the department started holding a bingo on Monday nights at 
the Madison County Fireman's Hall. The department had to borrow the 
money to start the bingo from a local businessman. This fund raising 
program has grown into the department's biggest source of income and 
has paid for another addition to the Fire House in 1976 and the 
purchase of trucks and additional equipment that are in use today.
  The department has continued to remain an active part of the 
Hollywood Heights community. The department sponsors a free Easter egg 
hunt, holiday pictures with Santa Claus, various fire fighting 
demonstrations and donations to the Hollywood Heights Elementary 
School, the Shriners Hospital and the Caseyville Food Pantry.
  Today, the department has over 25 members with a ladder truck, two 
front line pumpers, one rescue truck, one Brush/Mini pumper and an in-
house cascade system to meet the department's needs. They continue to 
add modern state-of-the-art fire fighting equipment to the department 
and play a major part in their community and the area.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the 50th 
Anniversary of the Hollywood Heights Volunteer Fire Department and 
recognize the great work that it does in the community to benefit the 
health, safety and welfare of its citizens.

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