[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2885]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       A TRIBUTE TO SHANE STEWART

 Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I wish today to honor the service 
and sacrifice of CAPT Shane Stewart.
  My wife Joan and I were deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death 
of CAPT Shane Stewart this past Saturday in Weld County, CO, as he was 
en route to render aid to a sick caller in the town of Ault.
  It takes a person of great courage to become a firefighter. It takes 
a strong, hard-working, and considerate individual, who like in many 
small communities across America, volunteer their time and effort, at 
sometimes great risk to themselves, to become a volunteer firefighter. 
It takes a special someone who is willing to pay the ultimate price in 
protecting the safety of others.
  Captain Stewart was just this person. And unfortunately, Captain 
Stewart paid the ultimate price on February 23. He was 33 years old. 
Shane is the first firefighter killed in the line of duty in the Ault-
Pierce Fire Protection District.
  The Colorado native was born in Sterling and grew up in Greeley. 
Shane was employed by the Colorado Department of Transportation and 
concurrently served as a volunteer firefighter when called to duty. 
Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of many of our small towns and 
communities. In fact there are a total of 15,000 firefighters in 
Colorado with 9,450 being volunteers in their respective communities. 
Shane joined the Ault-Pierce Fire Protection District as a volunteer 
firefighter in August 2004.
  Shane came from a family steeped in firefighting tradition. Shane's 
father and brother are also volunteers with the 21-member department.
  Captain Stewart was a father, brother, and a son. He is survived by 
his wife Cyndee, sons Blake and Logan, parents Paul and Jeanette, and 
his brother Sean. Shane was well liked by his peers and was someone you 
would like to have as a friend and colleague.
  The Ault-Pierce Fire Protection District lost a valuable member of 
its community, as did the State of Colorado. We are all forever 
grateful for Captain Shane Stewart's service and dedication as a 
firefighter. His service to all of us is highly commendable, and his 
contributions will be remembered.
  I extend my deepest sympathy to the family of CAPT Shane Stewart. May 
his bravery and unwavering sense of duty serve as a role model for the 
future generation of firefighters.

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