[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11303]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    MAINE FIREFIGHTERS COMMEMORATION

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, every day across this country, 
firefighters quietly put their lives on the line in order to protect 
the communities in which they serve. Few firefighters better exemplify 
the selfless qualities that characterize this select group of public 
safety personnel than those in Franklin County, ME, who recently rushed 
to the aid of their Canadian neighbors to help combat a deadly fire in 
the border town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec. I rise today to recognize 
those firefighters from the Maine towns of Chesterville, Eustis, 
Farmington, New Vineyard, Phillips, Strong, and Rangeley.
  In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 6, 2013, a freight train 
carrying hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil was sent 
hurtling toward Lac-Megantic, a small, picturesque Canadian village 
located only 30 miles from the Maine border. The train derailed in the 
center of town, leveling several blocks and killing numerous residents. 
This unthinkable loss has touched every member of that close-knit 
community. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victims 
of this tragedy, and my thoughts and prayers are with the residents of 
Lac-Megantic during this time of mourning. Yet, out of this terrible 
calamity, I was exceedingly heartened to hear the stories of more than 
30 firefighters in nearby Maine who answered their Canadian neighbors' 
call and reported for duty.
  Within mere hours of the accident, the Franklin County Emergency 
Management Agency had alerted seven area fire departments, and the 
Maine firefighters were at the scene. Upon arriving in Lac-Megantic, 
these firefighters overcame tremendous obstacles in order to combat the 
flames. The initial blasts had severed the town's phone lines, power, 
and water supply, leaving Canadian firefighters unable to use the fire 
hydrants. Maine fire trucks, equipped with the capability of drawing 
water directly from the nearby lake, allowed firefighters to cool off 
the remaining fuel-laden cars that were in danger of combusting, likely 
averting additional destruction.
  The response of the Maine firefighters demonstrates the best 
qualities of international cooperation as well as the tenets of the 
brotherhood of firefighters. Maine and eastern Canada are bound 
together by history, family ties, and friendship, and that special 
relationship was clearly evident on the morning of July 6. Despite 
challenges posed by incompatible hose couplings, different radio 
systems, and even a language barrier in French-speaking Quebec, Maine 
and Canadian firefighters worked side-by-side to quickly and 
effectively douse the flames and mitigate the damage caused by this 
dreadful accident.
  The valiant and selfless efforts of these Maine firefighters are 
unquestionably worthy of our respect and gratitude. This unassuming 
group of first responders never thought twice about helping their 
Canadian neighbors and fellow firefighters. I applaud the firefighters 
of Chesterville, Eustis, Farmington, New Vineyard, Phillips, Strong, 
and Rangeley, as well as the effective coordination of these 
departments by the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency. Truly, 
we can feel secure knowing these heroes are always willing to answer 
the call for help.

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