| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, First Responder Legislative Day is taking place at |
|
|
the State Capitol on March 25, 2015, and this occasion provides an |
|
|
opportunity to reflect on the courageous efforts of these admirable |
|
|
public servants; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The second-oldest monument on the grounds of the |
|
|
State Capitol is the Volunteer Firemen memorial, and it serves as a |
|
|
moving tribute to the valorous service of all firefighters and |
|
|
other emergency response personnel; erected by the State Firemen's |
|
|
Association of Texas in 1896, the bronze statue portrays a fireman |
|
|
carrying a frightened child in his left arm while holding a lantern |
|
|
in his right hand; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The granite base of the monument is inscribed with |
|
|
the names of Texas volunteer firefighters who lost their lives in |
|
|
the line of duty, and on this day, 21 fallen heroes are being added |
|
|
to the list: Chief Charles "Ted" Richardson of the Alvarado |
|
|
Volunteer Fire Department, Gregory Mack Simmons of the Eastland |
|
|
Fire Department, Elias Macias Jaquez of the Cactus Fire Department, |
|
|
Larry Gale Nelson of the Val Verde County Rural Volunteer Fire |
|
|
Department, Matt Waller of the Memphis Fire Department, Mark |
|
|
Shepherd of the Rosehill Volunteer Fire Department, William Richard |
|
|
"Dick" Danes of the Brazos County Precinct 3 Fire Department, |
|
|
Captain Neal Wade Smith of the Atascocita Volunteer Fire |
|
|
Department, Jalen Smith of the Jackson Heights Volunteer Fire |
|
|
Department, Assistant Chief David Fox of the Bluebonnet Volunteer |
|
|
Fire Department, Donald Mize of the League City Volunteer Fire |
|
|
Department, Jerry Chapman and Captain Cyrus Reed of the Abbott |
|
|
Volunteer Fire Department, Kevin Sanders of the Bruceville-Eddy |
|
|
Volunteer Fire Department, Perry Calvin of the Martens Volunteer |
|
|
Fire Department, Morris Bridges, Cody Dragoo, Joseph Pustejovsky, |
|
|
Captain Douglas |
|
|
Snokhous, and Captain Robert Snokhous of the West |
|
|
Volunteer Fire Department, and Chief Hugh Ferguson of the Damon |
|
|
Volunteer Fire Department; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Every hour of every day, the first responders of |
|
|
Texas stand ready to come to the aid of their fellow citizens, and |
|
|
these dedicated men and women are truly deserving of our heartfelt |
|
|
praise and gratitude; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby commemorate First Responder Legislative Day at |
|
|
the State Capitol and pay tribute to the service of the first |
|
|
responders of Texas, both past and present. |