[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2346]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                     DENTON FIRE DEPARTMENT AWARDS

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                        HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 24, 2004

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Denton 
Fire Department for their nominations of their department employees. 
For 130 years this fire department has fought to save the lives of 
citizens of the Denton area. This fire department has 122 firefighters 
and officers, eight 911 dispatchers, and one RSVP volunteer. It is not 
the equipment in these stations that makes Denton a safer place; it is 
the personnel that are hard at work to keep this community safe.
  The philosophy of the fire department is that prevention is key to 
reducing the fire loss of our city. This department is able to maintain 
its high standards by acting towards arising situations and 
regulations. These firefighters take a proactive approach of educating 
citizens about fire safety and life safety through CPR classes and 
first aid classes. Even with programs in place, the Denton Fire 
Department strives to continue improvement in the quality of service 
provided to citizens by aggressively training officers in all areas of 
expertise. All of our fire department's continuing education programs 
exceed requirements suggested by the Texas Department of Health. This 
is proof that our firefighters are above average.
  The individuals who work at the Denton County Fire Department are to 
be commended for their achievements in this past year. Without 
dedicated individuals the Denton County Fire Department would not serve 
at the high level it does. Brad Fuller, Brad Lahart, and Mike Tucker 
received Meritorious Service awards for their hard work and dedication 
of going beyond the normal job requirements to serve the Denton area. 
Also, Tim Tarlton's Crew at Station 3 ``B'' Shift has been awarded the 
Community Service Award for their methods of getting the message to 
children about fire safety in public schools. Likewise, Lisa Parker, 
who serves the Denton Fire Department with a cheerful personality and a 
positive attitude, has been awarded the EMS Excellence award. 
Furthermore, Jeff Knoles has been awarded special recognition for 
serving the Denton community in dual roles as a firefighter and 
paramedic since 1999.
  The fire administration provides the leadership, vision and resources 
that our personnel need to provide the highest quality service to our 
citizens. The city staff and fire department employees coordinate 
efforts to maintain the quality of safety necessary for a city of 
Denton's size.
  Firefighters are a necessary part of public life. Like in any other 
part of life, there are those who deserve special recognition. The 
individuals honored here today are some of those individuals.

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