[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15064]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF JERRY DICK, FIRE COMPANY PRESIDENT FOR CHERRY HILL TOWNSHIP 
                 FIRE COMPANY IN PENN RUN, PENNSYLVANIA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARK S. CRITZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Mr. CRITZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jerry Dick, the Company 
President of the Cherry Hill Township Fire Company for his fifty years 
of active service to the department, the community, and its citizens. 
Mr. Dick has played a vital role in the fire company from the 
beginning. In 1951, when Jerry was just 11-years-old, he accompanied 
his father to city meetings on the construction of the community's new 
firehouse. He participated in laying the actual brick for the building 
that the Cherry Hill Township Fire Company is housed in today. Four 
years later at the young age of fifteen, Jerry joined the fire company 
as a volunteer.
  Except for a brief stint away from Pennsylvania in the 1960s, Mr. 
Dick has served his community at the firehouse since 1954. During the 
Johnstown Flood of 1977, Jerry proved himself to be a true hero. While 
the rivers and creeks surged through the area, a family got trapped in 
their home, unable to reach higher ground. Jerry, along with 
firefighter Bob Zack, stretched a ladder across a large stream of water 
and extricated three children from the home. After getting them to 
safety, the water rushing through the area became more treacherous. 
Jerry made the decision that he and Bob could not safely traverse the 
waters to get back to safety. Both firefighters used a rope to tie 
themselves around a utility pole and remained in the danger zone for 
over nine hours. Not until the morning could they safely remove 
themselves from harm's way.
  Jerry Dick is only the second member of the fire company to achieve 
such an amazing long-standing tenure of service. In his fifty years, 
Jerry Dick has shown true determination, strength, and character with 
the Cherry Hill Township Fire Company.
  Mr. Speaker, once again I would like to congratulate and honor Jerry 
Dick on his fifty years of service and to wish him well as he continues 
to serve the community.