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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 246 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 246

 Expressing condolences to the families and loved ones of firefighters 
  Matthew Renaud, Robert Bebee, Robert Garner, and Anne Sullivan and 
standing in solidarity with their families, members of the Houston Fire 
  Department, and entire Houston community, as they mourn the loss of 
these 4 remarkable and selfless heroes who represented the best of the 
 Houston community and exemplify the qualities of firefighters serving 
                   communities throughout the Nation.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2013

   Ms. Jackson Lee (for herself, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. Al Green of 
   Texas, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. 
 Culberson, Mr. Olson, Mr. Stockman, Mr. Castro of Texas, and Mr. King 
of New York) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
            the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing condolences to the families and loved ones of firefighters 
  Matthew Renaud, Robert Bebee, Robert Garner, and Anne Sullivan and 
standing in solidarity with their families, members of the Houston Fire 
  Department, and entire Houston community, as they mourn the loss of 
these 4 remarkable and selfless heroes who represented the best of the 
 Houston community and exemplify the qualities of firefighters serving 
                   communities throughout the Nation.

Whereas the mission of the Houston Fire Department is to serve with courage, 
        commitment, and compassion, which were demonstrated through the actions 
        of firefighters Matthew Renaud, Robert Bebee, Robert Garner, and Anne 
        Sullivan on May 31, 2013;
Whereas the Firemen's Creed states, ``I have no ambition in this world but one 
        and that is to be a firefighter. . . . But, above all, our proudest 
        endeavor is to save lives of men the work of GOD himself'';
Whereas in 2000, Kimberly Ann Smith became the first female Houston firefighter 
        who died in the line of duty along with firefighter Lewis Mayo III;
Whereas March 14, 2012, was the last time the City of Houston lost a firefighter 
        in the line of duty when Senior Captain Thomas Dillion died;
Whereas 74 years have passed since the last time more than 2 fighters lost their 
        lives in the line of duty when Edgar Grant, Harry Oxford, and John 
        Little were killed when their engine was struck by a train;
Whereas on May 31, 2013, the 5-alarm fire that engulfed a Houston motel and 
        restaurant is now the deadliest fire to firefighters in the 118-year 
        history of the Houston City Fire Department;
Whereas captain EMT Matthew Renaud of Station 51, engineer operator EMT Robert 
        Bebee of Station 51, firefighter EMT Robert Garner of Station 68, and 
        probationary firefighter Anne Sullivan of Station 68 died in the line of 
        duty while fighting that deadly fire when the structure collapsed;
Whereas Matthew Renaud of Station 51 began his career with the Houston Fire 
        Department in October of 2001 and, in addition to Fire Station 51, 
        served out of Stations 39, 83, 73, 37, 60, and 35;
Whereas engineer operator EMT Robert Bebee of Station 51 began his career with 
        the Houston Fire Department in August of 2001 and in addition to Fire 
        Station 51, has served out of Stations 37, 40, 10, and 48;
Whereas firefighter EMT Robert Garner of Station 68 began his career with the 
        Houston Fire Department in October of 2010 and has served out of Fire 
        Station 68 since joining the department;
Whereas probationary firefighter Anne Sullivan of Station 68 graduated from the 
        Houston Fire Department Academy in April 2013 and was assigned to Fire 
        Station 68, and is the second female firefighter to die in the line of 
        duty in the history of the Houston Fire Department;
Whereas the bravery, devotion to duty, and love of community of these fallen 
        heroes has forever earned them a place in the hearts and memories of the 
        citizens of Houston, Texas, because they willingly risked their lives to 
        protect us, and are a testament to the spirit of public service embodied 
        by firefighters throughout the Nation;
Whereas these fallen heroes will be missed by all, but especially by those who 
        knew them best, loved them most, and will remember them simply as 
        husbands, a daughter, fathers, a sister, brothers, sons, colleagues, and 
        friends;
Whereas probationary firefighter Anne Sullivan of Station 68 was a gifted 
        athlete who played soccer and was a cross country runner who focused her 
        life's ambition upon graduating from high school to become a firefighter 
        and began her quest by joining the Wharton County Junior College Fire 
        Academy and after graduation was admitted as a cadet at the Houston Fire 
        Department Academy;
Whereas Firefighter EMT Robert Garner of Station 68 was proud to call himself a 
        Houston Firefighter who sought out this honor after leaving the United 
        States Air Force where he honorably served his country and completed two 
        tours of duty in Iraq and started his fire department career at the Val 
        Jahnke Fire Academy;
Whereas captain Matthew Renaud who serviced the Houston Fire Department for 
        11\1/2\ years after joining in October of 2001 and was assigned to 
        Station 51 upon graduation from the Academy, and was awarded the Unit 
        Meritorious Medal for saving the life of a woman who had been trapped by 
        an apartment fire; and
Whereas engineer operator EMT Robert Bebee of Station 51 graduated from Dobie 
        High School in Southwest Houston in 1990 and began his fire department 
        career at the Val Jahnke Fire Academy on August 6, 2001, and served the 
        majority of his career at Station 51 with honor and distinction: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses its 
condolences to the families and loved ones of firefighters Matthew 
Renaud, Robert Bebee, Robert Garner, and Anne Sullivan and stands in 
solidarity with their families, members of the Houston Fire Department, 
and entire Houston community, as they mourn the loss of these 4 
remarkable and selfless heroes who represented the best of the Houston 
community and exemplify the qualities of firefighters serving 
communities throughout the Nation.
                                 <all>
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