[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8269]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO BRECKENRIDGE FIRE CHIEF JOHN MOLES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 2, 2003

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 
distinguished service of John Moles, Chief of the Red, White and Blue 
fire department in Breckenridge, CO. Chief Moles is retiring this month 
after 27 years of service to his community.
  Chief Moles and his colleagues in fire departments throughout the 
country put their lives on the line daily to ensure our health and 
safety. Their service is especially critical in these times of war and 
threats to our homeland.
  Chief Moles recognized the importance of this service and helped to 
make the Breckenridge fire department the proud community asset that it 
is today. We too often fail to acknowledge the hard, selfless work of 
people like Chief Moles. So, I ask that my colleagues join me in 
thanking John Moles for his service and many contributions to his 
colleagues, community, state and nation and in wishing him and his 
family all the best for the future.
  For the information of our colleague, I am attaching a copy of a 
recent story about Chief Moles and his work for Breckenridge that 
appeared in the Summit Daily newspaper.

                 From the Summit Daily, March 23, 2003

                Breck fire chief retires after 27 years

                           (By Jane Stebbins)

       Breckenridge.--After 27 years in the fire service, Red, 
     White and Blue Fire Chief John Moles announced his retirement 
     Thursday afternoon. Assistant chief Gary Green will serve as 
     the interim chief until the fire district board selects a 
     successor.
       Moles spent Friday packing up boxes of photos, awards and 
     other memorabilia he's collected in his years at the 
     Breckenridge fire station.
       ``I've been cleaning out my desk and finding pictures from 
     15 years ago, ID cards from when I started with the 
     Breckenridge Volunteers,'' Moles said. ``I wondered where 
     that went. ``
       Moles doesn't plan to do anything for a couple of weeks, 
     then he'll take a vacation with his wife, Carol, daughters, 
     Kelly and Jennifer, and son, Tommy. Then he'll look for a 
     second career.
       ``I really don't know what, though,'' he said. ``After 
     doing this for 27 years, I want to do something different.''
       Moles joined the department as a volunteer in May 1975--
     when the department was still known as the Breckenridge 
     Volunteer Fire Department--and was promoted to maintenance 
     officer a year later.
       Moles worked his way up the ranks, first as a training 
     division captain for five years, then as the assistant chief 
     of operations. In July 1993, he was promoted to chief.
       During his tenure, Moles saw two station remodels and the 
     construction of a new station near Tiger Road and Highway 9. 
     Several old, outdated vehicles and equipment were replaced.
       He worked on some of Breckenridge's biggest fires--at the 
     Cedars condominiums in Breckenridge and at Jack Pine in 
     Dillon--and numerous car accidents. Emergency response, 
     however, took a different tack on Sept. 11, 2001.
       ``All of a sudden, we entered a new age,'' Moles said. ``It 
     was a new age of anthrax and serious terrorism, biological 
     and nuclear threats.''
       Over the years, the fire department has matured from 
     volunteers responding from their homes to a 24-hour staff of 
     career, volunteer and resident firefighters. When he started, 
     the Breckenridge Volunteers comprised 14 volunteers. Today, 
     Red, White and Blue comprises 15 volunteers, 30 residents and 
     career firefighters and five administrative staff members.
       Over the years, Moles helped the 911 dispatch center and 
     spearheaded the program to get automatic external 
     defibrillators (AED) for cardiac emergencies. He also was the 
     first firefighter in the county to use an AED and save 
     someone's life.
       ``We had just gotten certified by a hospital in Denver, and 
     the paperwork was just coming in on a fax,'' he said. ``But 
     the only thing that came in was a cover sheet--no names, no 
     acknowledgement of certifications. And then we got a cardiac 
     arrest at the Breck Inn (now the Breckenridge Mountain 
     Lodge), and the defibrillator was sitting in my office. I had 
     to decide whether to use it without truly being certified. I 
     was a little nervous, but I opted to use it.''
       That call was among his favorites, he said.
       ``It's the thrill of a victory,'' he said. ``You have this 
     training, and you get instant results.''
       Under his leadership, fire crews have expanded safety 
     inspections, firefighter and medic training and public 
     education.
       Despite all his accomplishments, Moles said he is happiest 
     to have watched his firefighters grow into a group of 
     dedicated professionals with expertise and training that 
     rivals bigger city departments.
       ``They're very progressive, a very young bunch of 
     enthusiastic firefighters who want to do the best for the 
     citizens, and they'll continue to get better every year,'' he 
     said. ``I'm proud of the whole system. I was proud of the 
     firefighters when I started and where they went year after 
     year. I feel that even back in '70s and '80s we were the 
     best, and we kept getting better. We never settled to be 
     `good enough.'''

     

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