Bill Text: VA HJR560 | 2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Amherst Fire Department.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-03-09 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ560ER) [HJR560 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-HJR560-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, the Amherst Fire Department, a dedicated first responder unit whose members have provided outstanding service to the community, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2017; and
WHEREAS, the Amherst Fire Department traces its roots to 1917, when a fire swept through the Town of Amherst and destroyed several prominent commercial buildings; in the hope of combating future disasters, a group of concerned citizens formed the community's first volunteer fire company; and
WHEREAS, the Amherst Fire Department began its service using a horse-drawn chemical engine that used a mixture of sulfuric acid and soda to propel water; the department purchased a motorized fire truck in the early 1920s and then built its first station between 1926 and 1927; and
WHEREAS, the Amherst Fire Department moved into its second fire station during World War II; in 1963, the department relocated to its current headquarters on Second Street in Amherst; and
WHEREAS, today, the well-trained members of the Amherst Fire Department utilize seven trucks, including two engines, one engine tanker, and an aerial ladder, and protect lives and property in Amherst 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and
WHEREAS, on August 19, 2017, the Amherst Fire Department held a 100th anniversary celebration attended by some 2,000 community members; the event also recognized the family of Tim Pigg, the only firefighter to die in the line of duty in the department's history; and
WHEREAS, the dedicated members of the Amherst Fire Department are pillars of their community who have displayed the utmost professionalism in their ongoing mission to keep the residents of Amherst safe; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Amherst Fire Department on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Amherst Fire Department as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for its long and meritorious service to the Amherst community.
