[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22247]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL FIREFIGHTER APPRECIATION DAY

  The resolution (S. Res. 596) designating Tuesday, October 10, 2006, 
as ``National Firefighter Appreciation Day'' to honor and celebrate the 
firefighters of the United States was considered and agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 596

       Whereas there are more than 1,100,000 firefighters in the 
     United States;
       Whereas approximately 75 percent of all firefighters in the 
     United States are volunteers who receive little or no 
     compensation for their heroic work;
       Whereas there are more than 30,000 fire departments in the 
     United States;
       Whereas thousands of firefighters have died in the line of 
     duty since the date that Benjamin Franklin founded the first 
     volunteer fire department in 1735;
       Whereas 346 firefighters and emergency personnel died while 
     responding to the terrorist attacks that occurred on 
     September 11, 2001;
       Whereas firefighters respond to more than 20,000,000 calls 
     during a typical year;
       Whereas firefighters also provide emergency medical 
     services, hazardous materials response, special rescue 
     response, terrorism response, and life safety education;
       Whereas, in 1922, President Harding declared the week of 
     October 9 to be ``Fire Prevention Week''; and
       Whereas the second Tuesday in October is an appropriate day 
     for the establishment of a ``National Firefighter 
     Appreciation Day'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate designates Tuesday, October 10, 
     2006, as ``National Firefighter Appreciation Day'' to honor 
     and celebrate the firefighters of the United States.

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