[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 28769]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE WEST SIDE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 30, 2007

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the 
members of the West Side Volunteer Fire Department for their selfless 
dedication and bravery in protecting our families, day and night.
  The West Side Volunteer Fire Department was established on April 1, 
1994. A State grant provided 12 sets of bunker gear and pagers. West 
Side Volunteer Fire Department responds to incidents including 
structure fires, trash or brush fires, vehicle fires, accidents with 
injuries, and EMS First Responder calls.
  Without volunteer fire halls, like West Side, many places in the 
Sixth District would lack effective fire protection. In the State of 
Tennessee, over 70 percent of fire service is provided by volunteers. 
Among these volunteers, almost 75 percent work other daily jobs.
  Ensuring our families' safety is not without risk. Sadly, an average 
of 2 firefighters die each year in Tennessee in the line of duty. In 
2005, the Tennessee Fire Services and Code Academy dedicated a memorial 
on their main campus in Bell Buckle to honor those Tennessee 
firefighters who have died in the line of duty.
  For their willingness to serve, the following members of the West 
Side Volunteer Fire Department deserve recognition: Chief John Naylor, 
Assistant Chief Paul Simon, Captain Jack Barton, Matt Studd, Scott 
Tresler, Jeremy Genter, Jeremy Vassar, Jeff Smith, Dale Fulghum, Donnie 
Simon, Ashley Powell, and Nicholas Barton.

                          ____________________