Schiff, Dreier Resolution Paying Tribute to Fallen Firefighters Passes House
| Wednesday, September 09, 2009 | Contact: Sean Oblack (202) 225-4176 |
Schiff, Dreier Resolution Paying Tribute to Fallen Firefighters Passes House
Resolution Honors the lives of Captain Tedmund “Ted” Hall and Specialist Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones who died while bravely fighting the Station Fire Washington D.C. – Today, Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and David Dreier (R-CA) paid tribute to Captain Tedmund “Ted” Hall and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones who died on August 30th, while battling the Station Fire. Reps. Schiff and Dreier introduced a resolution honoring their lives and highlighting the contributions of the thousands of other personnel who have helped fight this massive wildfire. The resolution passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. “Firefighting is a selfless profession, and Captain Hall and Specialist Quinones gave their lives while protecting many thousands of families and their homes,” said Schiff. “My thoughts are with the families of these brave men -- we owe them a debt of gratitude we can never repay.” “The Station Fire, which claimed both homes and lives, was a genuine tragedy,” Dreier said. “The sacrifice of the families of Captain Hall and Specialist Quinones is greater than any of us can imagine. The U.S. House stands with them today in honoring these two extraordinary men. We also pay tribute to the firefighters who have taken on this fire and helped saved thousands of homes and lives. Southern California is fortunate to have such an outstanding group of men and women combating these fires.” Captain Hall, of San Bernardino County, was a twenty-six year veteran of the fire service, and is survived by his wife, two sons and his parents. Specialist Arnaldo Quinones, of Palmdale, was an eleven-year veteran of the fire service. The soon-to-be father is survived by his wife and his mother. The Station Fire began on August 26th and has burned more than 160,000 acres of public lands and private property in Los Angeles County and the Angeles National Forest. It has destroyed more than 200 structures and homes, and it continues to threaten over 7,000 more in communities like Altadena, La Canada Flintridge, Acton, Glendale, La Crescenta, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Littlerock, Sunland and Tujunga.