[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11970]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING WINSTON-SALEM FIRE AND RESCUE TEAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the 
Winston-Salem Fire and Rescue Team for their tremendous efforts 
participating in the World Championship Firefighter Combat Challenge. 
The world finals of this competition were held in Deerfield Beach, 
Florida, late last year. Over 1,500 firefighters from around the globe, 
including members from every branch of our military, descended on 
Deerfield Beach to compete for the right to be called the ``best of the 
bravest.''
  While wearing full firefighting gear, teams from across the United 
States raced through obstacle courses that mirrored the real demands 
and challenges of firefighting. I am proud to say that one of the teams 
in the competition was made up of six brave firefighters from Winston-
Salem, North Carolina, which is located in the Fifth Congressional 
District. Joining them were 10 firefighters from the adjacent city of 
Greensboro. This great group is often referred to as ``the ambassadors 
of the State of North Carolina.''
  Teams competed in several divisions in the week-long competition. 
Winston-Salem team members Duane Creek and Ricky Brown finished second 
in the over-40 male Tandem Relay and Robert Klingersmith and Jesse 
Walker of the Greensboro Fire Department teamed up to grab second in 
the over-50 male Tandem Relay. Kelvin Astrop, Ricky Brown, and Duane 
Creek also finished with individual qualification times fast enough to 
compete for the individual finals.
  The highlight of the competition was when Winston-Salem team members 
Duane Creek, Ricky Brown, Kelvin Astrop, John Pennington and Robert 
Klingersmith went head-to-head against team Dr. Pepper, the 2004 World 
Champions, and defeated them in the over-40 relay.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent these courageous firemen and 
congratulate them on their achievements.

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