[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7897]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HOUSTON FIREFIGHTERS KILLED FIGHTING HOTEL FIRE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Poe) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, when there is a blaze, when there is a 
fire, when there is an explosion, when someone has an emergency medical 
problem, the firefighter--the EMT rush in. That is what they do. While 
others flee danger, the firefighter with sirens, red lights, horns, red 
and white trucks charge into the jaws and midst of danger. Sometimes 
the danger is overwhelming and firefighters are injured and some are 
killed.
  This has been a tragic year in Texas for firefighters. On April 17 in 
West, Texas, 10 firefighters were killed while putting out the fire at 
a fertilizer plant that had exploded.
  Last Friday, in the heat of the Texas noonday Sun, a restaurant on 
the highly traveled Southwest Freeway caught fire. Then with the high 
winds, the fire spread to a nearby hotel. Houston firefighters arrived 
at the scene in minutes. They heard screams from citizens, and they 
rushed into the hotel to find potential trapped guests.
  The hotel suddenly became a hellish inferno. First, the two-alarm, 
then a five-alarm fire. It took over 2 hours to get the fires under 
control. While the firefighters were in the hotel looking for people 
who stayed there, the roof of the hotel collapsed, trapping and killing 
four firefighters. Thirteen others were injured--some critically.
  These are photographs of the four firefighters, Mr. Speaker:
  Engineer Operator EMT, Robert Bebee, right here. He was 41 years of 
age. He's a graduate from Dobie High School, and he was a firefighter 
at Station 51. He started his career at the Houston Fire Department in 
August of 2001. His cousin, Joshua Gandara, said when he heard his 
cousin died, he knew why. ``I knew he was saving somebody else.'' 
``That's him. He always put people first before himself, anybody's 
needs before his own needs.''
  Over here on the far left, photograph Mr. Speaker, is Anne Sullivan. 
She was 24 years of age. She was assigned to Station 58. She grew up in 
Sugar Land, Texas. She was just 5 feet 2 inches tall. Anne knew she 
wanted to be a firefighter since the day she graduated from high 
school. She had just graduated from the Houston Fire Department Academy 
in April. Anne was an avid soccer player, cross-country runner, and she 
ran 10 miles a day. Her father, Jack Sullivan, was in his car on the 
way home from work Friday when he heard on the radio about the fire. He 
realized the fire was in the same area where his daughter Anne worked. 
He wasn't sure whether or not she was involved and hoped with all his 
might it wouldn't be her. Then came the terrible news that four 
firefighters had been killed in the blaze. He started to cry. When he 
pulled up to his home, the emergency vehicle parked in front of his 
house said it all. Anne, 24, was one of the fallen firefighters.
  Firefighter Captain EMT Matthew Renaud, 35 years of age. He graduated 
from North Shore Senior High School. He was an 11-year veteran of the 
fire department. Station 51 was where he was assigned. He was close to 
Bebee. He transferred to Station 51 to work with him because they were 
like brothers.
  And then firefighter EMT Robert Garner, 29 years of age, Station 68. 
He had previously served in the United States Air Force; and since he 
finished serving, he wanted to be a firefighter in Houston. He did two 
tours of duty in Iraq. Garner's dad once told him: ``Use your training 
because God will be with you.'' He awoke his dad that morning when he 
walked out of the house to go to work. That was the last time he saw 
his father.
  Mr. Speaker, Houston is the third largest fire department in the 
United States. It is the busiest. This is the most tragic event in the 
history of the Houston Fire Department. So tomorrow at Reliant Stadium, 
an estimated 30,000 citizens, firefighters, police officers, and other 
people will pay tribute to these amazing firefighters. They were the 
best we have in Houston, and we are saddened that they are gone; but we 
thank the good Lord that such people ever lived.
  And that's just the way it is.
  I insert into the Record the 10 firefighters killed in West, Texas, 
on April 17, 2013.

     Firefighters Killed in West, Texas, Explosion--April 17, 2013

       (1) Morris Bridges, Jr., 41, West, Texas Volunteer Fire 
     Department.
       (2) Perry Calvin, 37, Merkel, Texas Fire Department.
       (3) Firefighter Jerry Chapman, 26, Abbott, Texas Fire 
     Department.
       (4) Cody Dragoo, 50, West, Texas Volunteer Fire Department.
       (5) Captain Kenneth Harris, 52, Dallas, Texas Fire-Rescue.
       (6) Jimmy Matus, 52, West, Texas Volunteer Fire Department.
       (7) Joey Pustejovsky, 29, West, Texas Volunteer Fire 
     Department.
       (8) Firefighter Cyrus Reed, 29, Abbott, Texas Fire 
     Department.
       (9) Kevin Williams Sanders, 33, Bruceville-Eddy, Texas 
     Volunteer Fire Department.
       (10) Douglas Snokhous, 50, West, Texas Fire Department.
       (11) Robert Snokhous, 48, West, Texas Volunteer Fire 
     Department.
       (12) William ``Buck'' Uptmor, Jr., 45, West, Texas 
     Volunteer Fire Department.

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