[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5846]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO CAPTAIN DAVID LANG

 Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Captain 
David Lang for his outstanding service to the people of Hampton, NH.
  For the past 30 years, Dave has worked to protect his community 
through his faithful service with the Hampton Fire Department. As he 
retires from the department, I applaud him for his longstanding service 
and dedication to the people of Hampton.
  Captain Lang first joined the Hampton Fire Department in December 
1979 as an on-call firefighter. Due to his eagerness, hard work, and 
reliability, Dave rose through the ranks from permanent firefighter, to 
EMT, to lieutenant, and for the last 4 years has served as captain.
  During his tenure, Captain Lang consistently prioritized the needs of 
the community over his own, in particular during the Old Salt fire in 
1999 and the A Street block fire in 2009. He has been credited with the 
successful resuscitation of a patient in cardiac arrest and the rescue 
of several trapped civilians. For this outstanding service, Captain 
Lang has been recognized by the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of 
Police as Law Officer of the Year for Fire Service and has received the 
New Hampshire Fire Academy's prestigious Academy Award.
  Dave's commitment to fire safety in Hampton did not stop with his 
service in the field but carried over into professional leadership 
roles. Throughout his career, he participated in the Professional Fire 
Fighters Association of New Hampshire and for the past 16 years has 
served as its president. I am pleased that even as Dave retires from 
the Hampton Fire Department, he continues to serve as President of the 
Professional Fire Fighters.
  Dave is a native of New Hampshire and has lived in Hampton for over 
30 years. I have known him personally and professionally for over 20 
years and can attest to his commitment to public service, to his 
community, and to his family. Dave has been married to his wife Karen 
for 35 years and they have two beautiful daughters, Emily and Molly. 
His strong character and generous spirit touch upon all aspects of his 
work and family life, and his dedication and leadership in the 
community distinguishes him as an extraordinary public servant. New 
Hampshire is truly lucky to have him as a native son.
  On a personal note, I am grateful to Dave for his support and counsel 
during my years in public office. I could always count on Dave's advice 
about issues ranging from firefighting and emergency response to 
collective bargaining. Whenever I needed Dave's assistance in any 
capacity, he was always there, willing to help.
  As Captain Lang prepares for a well-deserved retirement, I wish to 
thank and honor him for his service to the people of Hampton.

                          ____________________