[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 4114-4115]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           IN HONOR OF ST. LOUIS FIRE CHIEF NEIL J. SVETANICS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSS CARNAHAN

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 26, 2012

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lemay Fire 
Protection District Chief Neil J. Svetanics, who is marking his 50th 
year of fire service in 2012.
  Neil Svetanics was born in 1940 in the Water Tower area of North St. 
Louis. He left high school early to enlist in the United States Marine 
Corps, from which he was honorably discharged in 1960. Mr. Svetanics 
became a member of the St. Louis Fire Department in 1962, where he 
quickly rose through the ranks. He was named chief in 1986, becoming 
the youngest chief in the department's history and the first to hold a 
college degree.
  Mr. Svetanics held the position of chief for over 13 years, becoming 
the third longest serving fire chief in the St. Louis Fire Department's 
storied history. Under his leadership, the Department established a 
City/County Mutual Aid Policy, promoted a record number of minorities 
to leadership positions, and hired the department's first women 
members.
  Mr. Svetanics was selected by the International Association of Fire 
Chiefs as their 1998 ``Fire Chief of the Year,'' and he retired from 
his post the following year. Chief Svetanics also received the 2001 
Lifetime Contribution to the St. Louis Fire Department Award. In 2002, 
Mr. Svetanics became the Chief of the Lemay Fire Protection District, a 
position which he still holds today. To date, Mr. Svetanics has 
dedicated over 50 years of service to fire departments in and around 
St. Louis, the majority in positions of great responsibility.
  Mr. Svetanics has dedicated much of his life to serving the St. Louis 
community, and has been deservedly awarded numerous honors from various 
organizations ranging from the public, the not-for-profit, and private 
sectors.
  Mr. Svetanics is the President of the St. Louis Firefighters Memorial 
Statue Fund, the Founder and past President of the Baden

[[Page 4115]]

Neighborhood Improvement Association, former Chairman of the United Way 
of Greater St. Louis Government Division, President of the St. Florian 
Society, a former member of the Board of Directors at the American Red 
Cross, and a member of the board of the St. Louis Backstoppers, the 
Mathews-Dickey Boys' Club, the Salvation Army, and the American Red 
Cross.
  Mr. Svetanics is celebrating another anniversary this year along with 
his wife, Judy Spreng. The couple celebrated their 50th anniversary in 
January with their wonderful family--children Maureen, Katie, Amy, and 
Lisa, four sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren.
  I thank Chief Svetanics for his service to his family, community, 
nation, and to his beloved firefighters all over the St. Louis 
Metropolitan Area.

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