[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10434]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING NAPOLEON TOWNSHIP FIRE CHIEF JAY HAWLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARK H. SCHAUER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 2009

  Mr. SCHAUER. Madam Speaker, I am proud today to honor a truly 
outstanding public servant, Napoleon Township Fire Chief Jay Hawley, as 
April marks the 35th anniversary of his service as a Napoleon 
firefighter.
  Jay's unwavering dedication to the community, the breadth of his 
experience, the depth of his knowledge, and his skill as a leader are 
cornerstones the Napoleon Township Fire Department's long success rests 
on. He is endlessly creative in finding ways to do more with less--
stretching every local dollar through regional cooperation, obtaining 
financial grants from a wide array of external sources, and the old 
fashioned approach of just plain spending every fire department dollar 
wisely.
  Jay is open to new ideas, willing to listen, ready to change, and 
always ready to cooperate for the larger good. He has been a tireless 
leader at the regional level on initiatives to improve emergency 
responder communications, strengthen training, pool fire resources, and 
enhance safety. He is never concerned with who gets credit for success, 
only that success is achieved.
  How many millions of dollars in property were spared and how many 
dozens of lives were saved through Jay's efforts may never be known, 
but Napoleon Township and surrounding communities know he is owed a 
debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid.

                          ____________________