President George W. Bush will meet Brian Koontz upon arrival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Friday, November 7, 2003. Koontz has served as a volunteer fire fighter with the County Line Volunteer Fire Department for the past 19 years.

Earlier this year, President Bush celebrated the first anniversary of the USA Freedom Corps – his initiative to engage all Americans in service to their neighbors and their nation. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country, like Koontz, who are answering the call to volunteer service.

Since 1984, Koontz has served as a volunteer fire fighter with the County Line Volunteer Fire Department. As the volunteer fire chief, Koontz serves as an incident commander during fire emergencies and coordinates fire response efforts such as organizing firefighters and determining resources needed to put fires out. Koontz also participates in the Smokehouse Youth Fire Training Program, where he educates children about fire safety and proper escape methods during a fire emergency. For the past two years, Brian has brought this program to his place of employment, Energy United, where employees and customers are encouraged to bring their children to learn what to do in a fire emergency. Energy United is a member company of Business Strengthening America, an effort to engage America’s companies and organizations in a campaign to encourage civic engagement and volunteer service.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster a culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to volunteer service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested volunteers can find opportunities in their own neighborhoods through the USA Freedom Corps web site at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-CORPS.

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