Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise and submit remarks in honor of Virginia State Trooper Jay Ferland, a devoted public servant, who along with Trooper Philip Battel saved a family of three from a house fire in Saltville, Virginia. When I first learned of their bravery, news reports failed to mention Trooper Ferland's involvement. On January 2, I spoke of this incident and only mentioned Trooper Battel. However, both men are deserving of our recognition. To recap, in the early hours of Friday, December 28, 2012, Trooper Ferland and Trooper Battel were in search of a stolen car that had been involved in an earlier police chase when they noticed off in the distance an orange hue. They decided to investigate. When they reached the area in question, much to their surprise, Troopers Ferland and Battel saw a home engulfed in flames. They banged on the door, but when there was no answer, they made the selfless decision to enter the home and investigate. Their actions in the house awoke its three residents who had no idea that their home was burning down around them, leading to their ultimate escape from the burning house and from the fire. Because of their bravery, the family was saved, and all are in good health. Their lives were saved, and the lives of two of their pets were also saved. The heroic actions of Trooper Ferland and Trooper Battel in service to the community are to be commended, and I am honored to be here today to pay tribute to them.…”