Political Quotes

“Mr. President, at 5:30 p.m. on September 11, 2001, members of Indiana Task Force One left Indianapolis to head to New York City. Task Force One is our State's search and rescue squad, made up of our bravest and most selfless first responders who deploy around the country in times of emergency. In the caravan to Ground Zero that day was Mark Rapp. Mark was a founding member of Task Force One. He was a hero's hero, a rescuer's rescuer. On March 4, 2022, Chief Mark Rapp died after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Mark, who was known by the nickname ``Bum''--that is right, ``Bum Rapp''--served the city of Indianapolis as a firefighter for 37 years. He retired as a battalion chief of training in 2017. In 1993, Mark received the Medal of Bravery for the risky rescue of a small child from a dangerous apartment fire. He is also a recipient of the American Red Cross Heroism Award, the Operations Firefighter of the Year Award, and the Peer Leadership Award for his work as a role model for the force. For 10 years, he led the Indianapolis Fire Department's Clothe-A- Child Program, wherein young people in need shop for clothing alongside a firefighter; and Mark was a deeply involved father. He built a log cabin in the Outdoor Lab at Indian Creek Elementary School. For over 20 years, he worked on the ``chain gang'' at Lawrence North High School football games. His sons, Mark, Jr., and Greg, eventually worked alongside him as firefighters.…”