[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18070]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          COMMENDING THE GLADES COUNTY VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS

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                            HON. TIM MAHONEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2007

  Mr. MAHONEY of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to pay tribute 
to the brave men and women of my district. Recently there was an 
outbreak of fires along Lake Okeechobee, Florida's largest lake. The 
fires started on May 27, 2007 along the Pierce Canal in Glades County, 
Florida. Boundary fires were created to protect the area.
  Glades County EMS Director, Bob Jones, coordinated the mission and 
had everyone in place. Glades County Sheriff, Stuart Whiddon made his 
deputies available to help. Lighted signs were posted on the road and 
volunteers went house to house to warn people of the fires. The highway 
was closed and one family had to evacuate due to health reasons. No one 
was taken to the hospital or needed EMS assistance during the six days 
the fire burned.
  Glades County is made up of all volunteer fire departments. 
Firefighters from Glades County Communities including Buckhead Ridge, 
Lakeport, Moore Haven, Palmdale, Ortona and Muse responded. These men 
and women were on site 24 hours a day. In order to protect the area, 
the volunteers inhaled smoke, and were surrounded by threatening 
flames. They were assisted by the following departments from 
neighboring Lee County: San Carlos, Port Authority, Bonita Springs, 
North Fort Myers, Estero, Fort Myers City, Bayshore, and Cape Coral. In 
addition, they were also assisted by the Brighton Seminole Fire 
Department.
  I commend Glades County Manager Wendell Taylor, Deputy County 
Manager, Larry Hilton, and the members of the Glades County Commission, 
Butch Jones, Chairman, Paul Beck, Vice Chairman, Donna Storter Long, 
Russell Echols, and Bob Geisler for their presence and constant concern 
for the citizens of Glades county. I also commend Glades County staff 
who lent a helping hand.
  Many firefighters lost days of pay in order to fulfill their 
obligation to protect the residents of Glades County. These brave men 
and women are a tribute to their communities and I commend them for 
their terrific hard work in battling these fires.
  Glades County may be one of the poorest counties in the district, but 
the people who live and work there are what makes it rich.

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