CONGRATULATING PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT CHIEF KEVIN McGEE ON HIS RETIREMENT; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 99
(Extensions of Remarks - June 13, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRATULATING PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT CHIEF
KEVIN McGEE ON HIS RETIREMENT
______
HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Mr. CONNOLLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize an individual who
has made an incredible mark on our community. This year marks the
retirement of Chief Kevin McGee from the Prince William County Fire and
Rescue Department. This will conclude an almost 40-year career for
Chief McGee, all with the Prince William County Fire and Rescue
Department.
Chief McGee joined the Fire and Rescue Academy in 1979 and rose
through the ranks, becoming Battalion Chief in 1991, Assistant Chief in
1998 and was appointed Chief of the Fire and Rescue Department in 2007.
Chief McGee also holds the distinction of having served at every rank
of the Fire Department, enlisted and officer, on his way to serving as
Chief. His tenure as Chief saw significant benefits for Prince William
County including the reduction of false fire alarms by 82%. Chief McGee
also led a review of Prince William County's emergency operations plans
in order to adapt them to better respond to the threat posed by
terrorism. He helped to modernize the department with the introduction
of Geographic Information Systems, a computer-aided dispatch system,
the Public Safety Radio Communications System and the E-9-1-1 and fire
and rescue mobile data systems. All of these improvements helped the
Fire and Rescue Department better serve the residents of Prince William
County.
Chief McGee's efforts have been recognized by numerous entities and
his leadership has led to the Department receiving several awards and
citations, including the Governor's Award for Outstanding EMS Agency in
2003 and the 2019 Northern Virginia EMS Council's EMS Agency Award.
I was first elected to Congress shortly after Chief McGee was
appointed Chief of the Fire and Rescue Department. I had worked with
him previously during my time as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board
of Supervisors on various regional boards and commissions. The
partnership that we had built during my time in local government
continued in Congress.
I was fortunate to do several ride-alongs and facility tours with
the Chief and saw firsthand his dedication to the men and women who
served with him and to the residents of Prince William County. One case
in particular will always stand out. Chief McGee and I worked together
to get federal benefits restored to a Prince William County first
responder who fell in the line of duty. The Justice Department had
originally denied the claim, but working with Chief McGee we were able
to get that decision reversed and make whole in one small way the
family members of that first responder.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating
Chief Kevin McGee on his almost four decades of service to Prince
William County and to Northern Virginia. Though he may be retiring, I
suspect that he will continue to remain engaged on the causes that are
close to his heart and he will never be far from a fire station in
Prince William County. I wish him all the best in retirement.
____________________