By:  Whitmire                                         S.C.R. No. 18
         2001S0259/1                            
 1-1                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-2           WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Texas is pleased to
 1-3     join the citizens of Houston in paying tribute to the 1,200 Houston
 1-4     firefighters who served their city faithfully and are now deceased
 1-5     and to the 56 courageous firefighters who lost their lives in the
 1-6     line of duty; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, The tradition of paying tribute to Houston
 1-8     firefighters began over 160 years ago; today, there are over 3,000
 1-9     active firefighters and almost 1,600 retired firefighters who have
1-10     earned the title of Unsung Heroes of Houston; and
1-11           WHEREAS, Over the generations, the City of Houston
1-12     Firefighters have diligently served their community; the
1-13     organization was first a volunteer bucket brigade named Protection
1-14     No. 1, and in 1895, it became the Houston Fire Department, a fully
1-15     paid professional organization; and
1-16           WHEREAS, In the early 1900s, the Houston firefighters used
1-17     triple horsepower to pull a water tower and later progressed to an
1-18     American La France Engine and then to pumpers; currently, the
1-19     firefighters use E-One pumpers that provide 2,700 gallons of water
1-20     per minute, and they use trucks with 100-foot aerial ladders for
1-21     help in rescues; and
1-22           WHEREAS, On March 9, 2001, the dedication of the Memorial
1-23     Garden to the Houston firefighters takes place; at the garden, a
1-24     granite Wall of Honor lists every deceased firefighter of the
 2-1     Houston Firefighter Department; the central focus of the Memorial
 2-2     Garden is a bronze sculpture by acclaimed Houston artist and
 2-3     sculptor David Adickes; and
 2-4           WHEREAS, The Memorial Garden is a fitting tribute to the
 2-5     early days of the Houston Firefighter Department and to the
 2-6     remarkable courage and hard work of all those firefighters of
 2-7     Houston's past; now, therefore, be it
 2-8           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
 2-9     hereby commend the Houston firefighters on their invaluable service
2-10     and many contributions to their city; and, be it further
2-11           RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared for the
2-12     Houston Firefighters' Memorial Garden as an expression of esteem
2-13     and gratitude from the Texas Legislature.