1-1                                       1

 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 846

 1-3           WHEREAS, The Texas Senate is pleased to welcome the

 1-4     participants in "Trailblazing," the Seventh International

 1-5     Conference of Fire Service Women, who will be in Austin, Texas,

 1-6     from May 28 through June 1, 1997; and

 1-7           WHEREAS, Women in the Fire Service, Incorporated, is a

 1-8     nonprofit organization dedicated to providing networking, advocacy,

 1-9     and educational resources for fire service women; membership

1-10     includes women and men in fire and rescue services throughout the

1-11     world; and

1-12           WHEREAS, The organization is also a source of information

1-13     for fire chiefs and others concerned with making the fire service

1-14     a place where women and men can work together harmoniously and

1-15     professionally; and

1-16           WHEREAS, Women have been active in volunteer fire departments

1-17     for most of this century, but it was not until 1974 that the first

1-18     woman was hired as a career firefighter; their numbers have

1-19     increased dramatically in the last 20 years and today more than

1-20     3,000 women work as career firefighters and officers; tens of

1-21     thousands more volunteer as firefighters, emergency medical

1-22     technicians, and paramedics; and

1-23           WHEREAS, Through their dedication, experience, and expertise,

 2-1     women have become chiefs of volunteer fire departments, and the

 2-2     number of women career fire chiefs increases each year; and

 2-3           WHEREAS, The foundation for Women in the Fire Service was

 2-4     begun in the early 1980s when two women firefighters decided to

 2-5     start a network that would give fire service women a way of

 2-6     contacting each other to talk about issues they faced on the job;

 2-7     and

 2-8           WHEREAS, The organization has experienced a steady growth in

 2-9     numbers and a continued expansion of its role in the fire service;

2-10     the membership is composed of women from 48 states and four foreign

2-11     countries with a wide diversity of lives and backgrounds who are

2-12     united by their work in the fire service; now, therefore, be it

2-13           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,

2-14     75th Legislature, hereby recognize the Women in the Fire Service

2-15     and extend best wishes to the attendees for a most informative and

2-16     rewarding seventh annual conference; and, be it further

2-17           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for

2-18     the distinguished group as an expression of the esteem of the

2-19     Texas Senate.

2-20                                                              Barrientos

2-21                                  ______________________________________

2-22                                          President of the Senate

2-23                                       I hereby certify that the above

2-24                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate

2-25                                  on May 24, 1997.

2-26                                  ______________________________________

2-27                                          Secretary of the Senate

2-28                                  ______________________________________

2-29                                           Member, Texas Senate