Mr./Madame Speaker,

First of all I would like to thank my fellow colleagues in the New York Delegation, Governor George Pataki, the Government Reform Committee and the Congressional Fire Services Caucus for joining me in honoring these brave men today.

HRes172 honors the memory of three heroes, who lost their lives in the line of duty on Sunday, June 17 2001. It was a sad Father’s Day where eight children lost their Dads, and three wives became widows.

These men, Harry Ford, 50, of Long Beach; Brian Fahey, 46, of East Rockaway; and John J. Downing, 40, a resident of Port Jefferson Station in my Congressional District, gave their lives fighting a fire in an effort to save the lives and property of the people of New York. On that day, as on every other day of their careers, they lived up to the motto of the New York City Fire Department "New York’s Bravest."

Along with their fellow firefighters from Rescue Co. 4 and Ladder Co. 163, Harry Ford, John Downing and Brian Fahey responded to what they believed was an ordinary five-alarm commercial fire at 2:20 p.m. at a hardware store in Astoria, Queens. As they were battling the blaze, though, an explosion ripped through the building, trapping Firefighters Downing and Ford beneath the rubble of the building’s façade, and Firefighter Fahey beneath the basement stairwell.

Their fellow firefighters valiantly worked to save them, some waving off the medical attention they themselves needed for injuries sustained in the explosion, as they desperately removed the rubble with their hands. Sadly, these three men had perished.

John Downing, a resident of New York’s First Congressional District, was a loving father of two children, Joanne, 7 and Michael, 3 and the husband of Anne, who he married 11 years ago. He was one of seven children in the Downing family, growing up in Woodside, Queens. John was one of four Downing children who went on to pursue public service as a career, joining his brother Denis as a firefighter, while his brothers James and Joseph became police officers.

Everyone who knew John called him a hero, in every sense of the word. Every day he was on the job for the past 11 years as a firefighter, John always gave his all and did his best. Whether it was in fighting fires or helping younger firefighters to learn their jobs better, everyone in the firehouse knew they could count on John.

Knowing this, it was no surprise when Firefighter Downing was on the front page of the New York Daily News three years ago. He was pictured on that front page as a hero, once again, rescuing passengers from a commercial jet that had gone off the runway at Laguardia Airport and into the chilling waters of Flushing Bay.

Firefighting was not John’s entire life, though. He was a family man, doting over his two children and devoted to his wife. In recent weeks he had been working a second job to bring his family on their first real summer vacation, to Ireland, to visit the relatives of his family and his wife’s. Sadly, when the alarm for his last fire came in, John was two hours away from ending his shift, and beginning that vacation. As the alarm went off, John put down the study book he had been reading, preparing to take the exam to become a lieutenant in the fire department, grabbed his gear, and answered his last call.

Like other firefighters, these brave men risked their lives every day that they went to work, all in the name of protecting their fellow man. We all sleep a little easier every night, go to work with an easy mind every day, and entrust our children in our schools, because we know that men and women like John Downing, Harry Ford and Brian Fahey stand ready to protect our lives, our families, and our homes.

Colleagues, please join me supporting this resolution that recognizes the heroism and sacrifices of all firefighters, particularly of these three brave men.

Mr./Madame Speaker, I ask permission to submit for the record a letter from New York’s Governor George Pataki, and I yield back the remainder of my time.

Thank you.