R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Residents of Central Texas will long remember the 1-2 October 1998 floods not only for the weather's catastrophic effects 1-3 on people and property but also for the unwavering courage 1-4 displayed by members of the San Antonio Fire Department in the face 1-5 of significant peril; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Although the property damage wreaked by this natural 1-7 disaster reached millions of dollars, the degree and depth of human 1-8 suffering resulting from this tragedy cannot be so easily counted, 1-9 and our hearts go out to those who have experienced loss; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Throughout the weekend of October 17-18, the San 1-11 Antonio Fire Department responded to a barrage of calls for help in 1-12 life-threatening situations resulting from the fast-rising 1-13 floodwaters and torrential rains; and 1-14 WHEREAS, The city's firefighters handled more than 400 1-15 high-water rescues from the predawn hours Saturday to midmorning 1-16 Sunday, retrieving hundreds of citizens stranded in their cars or 1-17 on the rooftops of their homes; rescuers maneuvered fire trucks, 1-18 boats, Jet Skis, helicopters, and inflatable craft in their 1-19 diligent efforts to save lives; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Although the rescuers themselves were frequently in 1-21 danger from the treacherous water, the selfless individuals of the 1-22 San Antonio Fire Department demonstrated strength of body and 1-23 spirit and a steadfast devotion to assisting those in need; and 1-24 WHEREAS, The San Antonio firefighters whose commitment to 2-1 their fellow man galvanized their actions above and beyond the call 2-2 of duty are truly worthy of our highest praise and recognition, for 2-3 their valor and compassion exemplify the highest ideals of the 2-4 fire-fighting profession; now, therefore, be it 2-5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 2-6 Legislature hereby commend the courageous members of the San 2-7 Antonio Fire Department, whose exceptional actions during the 1998 2-8 flood in Central Texas affected the lives and well-being of so 2-9 many. McClendon Laney Glaze Moreno of El Paso Alexander Goodman Morrison Allen Goolsby Mowery Alvarado Gray Naishtat Averitt Green Najera Bailey Greenberg Nixon Berman Grusendorf Noriega Bonnen Gutierrez Oliveira Bosse Haggerty Olivo Brimer Hamric Palmer Brown of Kaufman Hardcastle Pickett Brown of Brazos Hartnett Pitts Burnam Hawley Puente Capelo Heflin Ramsay Carter Hilbert Rangel Chavez Hilderbran Reyna of Bexar Chisum Hill Reyna of Dallas Christian Hinojosa Ritter Clark Hochberg Sadler Coleman Hodge Salinas Cook Homer Seaman Corte Hope Shields Counts Howard Siebert Crabb Hunter Smith Craddick Hupp Smithee Crownover Isett Solis of Cameron Cuellar Janek Solis of Bexar Culberson Jones of Brazos Solomons Danburg Jones of Lubbock Staples Davis of Harris Jones of Dallas Swinford Davis of Dallas Junell Talton Delisi Keel Telford Denny Keffer Thompson Deshotel King of Parker Tillery Driver King of Uvalde Truitt Dukes Krusee Turner of Coleman Dunnam Kuempel Turner of Harris Dutton Lengefeld Uher Edwards Lewis of Tarrant Uresti Ehrhardt Lewis of Orange Van de Putte Eiland Longoria Walker Elkins Luna West Ellis McCall Williams Farabee McClendon Wilson Farrar McReynolds Wise Flores Madden Wohlgemuth Gallego Marchant Wolens Garcia Maxey Woolley George Merritt Yarbrough Giddings Moreno of Harris Zbranek _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 747 was adopted by the House on April 28, 1999, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House