[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10620]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE SECOND ANNUAL GREATER SPRINGFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
                      ``ABOVE AND BEYOND'' AWARDS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2014

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an outstanding group 
of first responders and public safety officers who have been honored 
with the Second Annual Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce ``Above 
and Beyond'' Award.
  These awards honor Fairfax County Firefighters, EMTs, Police Officers 
and Sheriff's Deputies who give back to the Greater Springfield area by 
providing service to the community outside their normal duties. In 
addition to the immeasurable contributions made every day in the line 
of duty, these men and women have distinguished themselves through 
their extraordinary efforts in the community, which largely go unseen. 
They willingly volunteer their personal time, energies, and support to 
activities for the betterment of our children, our neighborhoods, and 
our quality of life.
  It is my honor to enter the names of the following individuals into 
the Congressional Record:

       Master Deputy Sheriff Rodney Harrison has served the 
     Fairfax County Sheriff's Office for 26 years. Through his 
     church, MDS Harrison makes an annual trip to Africa for the 
     purpose of ministering and donating educational materials and 
     clothing. In addition, twice a year the Sheriff's Office 
     provides security for a portion of the will of President 
     George Washington between Mount Vernon and the Circuit Court. 
     MDS Harrison willingly participates and uses this opportunity 
     to educate others on the history of the will and how to 
     safely transport this important historic document.
       Officer Long Dinh, Jr., endured traumatic head injuries 
     when responding to a call on duty in 2013. However, these 
     injuries did not deter him from continuing to serve his 
     community. He has applied his language abilities to the 
     Habitat for Humanity Restore program by creating tutorials 
     and helping to train volunteers. His tremendous contributions 
     to the program have been recognized by the Director of the 
     James Lee Senior Center. In March of 2014 Officer Dinh 
     returned to the police force.
       Auxiliary Police Officer Thomas Oliver has volunteered his 
     services since 1999. In addition to his regular duties, APO 
     Oliver participated in over 70 community events for vehicle 
     or crime prevention displays in 2013. He has assisted in 
     ``Operation Hands-On,'' which is a new process developed to 
     obtain information on cases previously closed. He helped 
     follow up on these cases and has educated members of our 
     community on how to keep themselves secure.
       Officer Paul F. Stracke has just completed his second year 
     with the police force. He began his service at age 18 when he 
     attended the Fairfax County Volunteer Fire Academy and 
     obtained an Emergency Medical Technician certification. Apart 
     from his police duties, he continues to work 60 hours every 
     quarter at Fire Station #14 to maintain his firefighter 
     status. Officer Stracke was nominated in 2013 for a 
     lifesaving award and received the Volunteer Firefighter of 
     the Year Award in 2013.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating and 
thanking each of the brave men and women who go above and beyond the 
call of duty to serve our community. They are part of the bravest and 
the finest who collectively ensure that Fairfax County remains one of 
the nation's safest communities in which to live, work, and raise a 
family. Moreover, the volunteer service exhibited by these honorees is 
one of the hallmarks of what has made Fairfax the thriving community it 
is today, and because of their efforts, that tradition will carry on 
for future generations.

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