On the recordDecember 18, 2001
Ray Downey was a legend in the New York City Fire Department. He and I grew up in the same department in Queens. He is a man who dedicated his life to saving other lives. And as the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) said, when 25,000 people were coming down the stairs, Ray Downey, at the age of 63, when he could have been sitting behind a desk, was going into a building to rescue thousands of people, and he certainly deserves whatever accolades we can give him. But more important than that, he has the accolades of all those who knew and loved him.
Source
govinfo.gov
