R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, D. R. Williams has served the people of Garland with
 1-2     the utmost distinction as battalion chief of the Garland Fire
 1-3     Department, and on April 17, 1999, he retired after nearly 42 years
 1-4     of dedicated service to the Garland community; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, Chief Williams was hired by the department on June
 1-6     10, 1957, and during his lengthy career he has served the city as a
 1-7     driver, lieutenant, captain, and ultimately the A-shift battalion
 1-8     chief; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, Affectionately known as "Shorty," Chief Williams was
1-10     part of the team that extinguished Garland's two largest fires, the
1-11     St. Regis Paper Fire in 1973 and the Service Merchandise Warehouse
1-12     Fire in 1987; his fire-fighting skills have earned him accolades
1-13     throughout his career, and in 1998, he was named "Firefighter of
1-14     the Year"; and
1-15           WHEREAS, Devoted to enhancing the quality of life for
1-16     firefighters, Chief Williams played a vital role in securing an
1-17     upgrade in firefighter retirement benefits, and he ably represented
1-18     his colleagues as president of the Garland Firefighters Association
1-19     for two terms; and
1-20           WHEREAS, During his more than four decades of service, Chief
1-21     Williams has witnessed much change in the Garland community; the
1-22     population of the town has increased from 18,000 to more than
1-23     200,000 residents, and the fire department has responded by
1-24     increasing its personnel from 23 to 234 employees and by adding six
 2-1     fire stations to the three that were already present; and
 2-2           WHEREAS, The citizens of Garland and the Garland Fire
 2-3     Department have benefited tremendously from the leadership of Chief
 2-4     Williams, and his legacy of outstanding service will long be
 2-5     remembered by his colleagues, family, and community; now,
 2-6     therefore, be it
 2-7           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas
 2-8     Legislature hereby commend D. R. "Shorty" Williams for his
 2-9     extraordinary tenure with the Garland Fire Department and extend to
2-10     him sincere best wishes for many more years of continued success
2-11     and happiness; and, be it further
2-12           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
2-13     prepared for Chief Williams as an expression of high regard by the
2-14     Texas House of Representatives.
                                                                        Hill
                                             _______________________________
                                                   Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.R. No. 670 was adopted by the House on April
         30, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House