Dedication To Our Firefighters

Floor Speech

(Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, this is National Fire Prevention Week. Last weekend, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation held their memorial service out in Emmitsburg, Maryland. They added the names of 103 firefighters who died this year in the line of duty. That brings the total to 3,330 names on the memorial to fallen firefighters since it was established in 1981.

As a volunteer firefighter and EMT, I've seen the bravery and dedication of the men and women who face infernos to save lives and property. They walk into hell, and they do so knowingly. Many never walk out again. That was the case on September 11, 2001, when 343 firefighters lost their lives.

There are more than a million firefighters across this country who respond to more than 2 million calls per year. We owe them a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid.

But there is something we can do. This week I cosponsored H. Res. 729, a measure to request that the President designate a day as National Firefighters Memorial Day to commemorate Federal, State, and local firefighters killed or disabled in the line of duty. It's the least we can do for these heroes.

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