[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO SLOSTRINGER MATTHEW FRANK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SALUD O. CARBAJAL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 24, 2017

  Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a tragedy and 
recognize a young man whose contributions were anonymous but were felt 
by the residents and the entire firefighter and law enforcement 
community of San Luis Obispo County.
  Matthew Frank, known to all as the SLOStringer, died in a car 
accident Tuesday morning, while responding to a house fire.
  He was an independent photographer and reporter who was followed by 
thousands on social media for his reporting on fires, floods, 
accidents, rescues, landslides, break-ins and arrests.
  The San Luis Obispo High School graduate was the eyes and ears for 
the community when news happened.
  His goal, ``My hope is that these sights make someone reconsider 
their (potentially fatal) actions.'' He said that public safety doesn't 
get a fair shake, and he ``wanted to set the record straight.'' I would 
like to draw attention to how much he cared for his community.
  During one of the many disastrous wildfires we experienced on the 
Central Coast last year, Matthew put his life at risk to help the 
victims of the Chimney Fire. While covering the fire from the 
frontlines, he met evacuees whose pets, medications and other items 
were left behind in the rush to escape the fast-moving fire. He used 
his credentials to return to the fire lines and recover those items he 
could for the victims.
  As our state's fire agency, CalFire, stated ``(Matthew) was quite 
often the first reporter with breaking news around the county, 
providing details and pictures. He was an advocate for public safety 
with a great deal of respect for the jobs performed by our firefighters 
and police officers.''
  Matthew Frank, the SLOStringer, was a respected journalist, a 
businessman and an advocate for public safety who will be missed for 
his contributions to the first-responder community and residents of San 
Luis Obispo County.

                          ____________________