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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Del Rio lost an esteemed public servant |
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with the passing of former Del Rio fire chief George Joe Harrington |
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on December 16, 2024, at the age of 69; and |
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WHEREAS, Joe Harrington was born in Del Rio on |
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December 15, 1955, and he began his tenure with the city in 1974 |
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when he joined the Del Rio Volunteer Fire Department; he was hired |
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on as a full-time employee of the Del Rio Fire Department in 1977, |
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and he earned his firefighter basic certification the following |
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year; named the DRFD Paid Firefighter of the Year in 1984, 1991, and |
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1996, he was awarded the department's medal of honor for his actions |
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during a citywide flood in 1998; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Harrington was promoted to assistant chief in |
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2006, and he served in the positions of operations chief, training |
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chief, and assistant to the emergency management coordinator; in |
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2013, he was appointed deputy chief, and he became task force leader |
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over agricultural rescue, automobile extrication, and trench |
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rescue for the Annual Municipal Texas Fire Training School; he took |
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over the department as fire chief in 2017 and served in that role |
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until his retirement in 2021, which drew to a close a career that |
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spanned nearly four and a half decades; and |
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WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Chief Harrington enjoyed the |
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love and support of a family that included his life partner of 25 |
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years, Marta Rodriguez; beyond his professional duties, he spent |
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time volunteering for events at the Whitehead Memorial Museum, |
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where he served on the board, and he was also a member of the Del Rio |
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Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee; and |
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WHEREAS, Dedicated to the safety and well-being of his fellow |
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citizens, Joe Harrington exemplified the highest ideals of his |
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profession, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to |
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inspire all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of George Joe Harrington |
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and extend heartfelt sympathy to all who mourn his passing; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Joe |
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Harrington. |