On the recordOctober 1, 2002
I would not be in public life were it not for the fire service, having grown up in a fire service family. The earliest recollections of spending time with my father was at the firehouse with him and with my six older brothers. It was only natural that when I became 18 I joined the department and eventually worked up to becoming president and chief. I then went back to school while teaching during the day to get a degree in fire protection. So all of my life has been devoted to these outstanding men and women who protect us in 32,000 departments and consist of 1.2 million men and women. This resolution recognizes America's domestic defenders. These are the people who protect our country every day of the year and have been doing so for 350 years, longer than the country has been a country. They have been our domestic defenders ever since. In fact, I call them our first responders.
Source
govinfo.gov
