[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 23]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 31833]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE BAXTER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2007

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the 
members of the Baxter Volunteer Fire Department for their selfless 
dedication and bravery in protecting our families, day and night.
  The Baxter Volunteer Fire Department began in the 1950s with a 
donated 1947 Ford Pumper and a handful of volunteers. Currently, the 
department has 14 volunteers on its roster.
  Without volunteer fire halls, like Baxter, 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 Baxter 
Volunteer Fire Department deserve recognition: Chief Cris Austin, Asst. 
Chief Richard McBroom, Capt. Josh Herron, Capt. Fabron Nicholson, Lt. 
John Ramsey, Steve Warren, Bob Hicks, Joel Qualls, Jason Jones, Mike 
Randolph, Justin Ramsey, Shane Whitehead and Cadet Firefighters Dustin 
Stanton and Dusty Mahan.

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