Bill Text: VA HR301 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-05 - Bill text as passed House (HR301ER) [HR301 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HR301-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, for 100 years, Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company has protected the lives and property of Warrenton residents by responding to fires and other emergencies with skill and dedication; and
WHEREAS, the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company draws upon a long history of fire service in the town, beginning in the 1850s with the establishment of volunteer fire patrols, and the purchase of a two-wheel reel and several hundred feet of hose after the installation of a water system in 1891; and
WHEREAS, in 1921, Warrenton purchased its first engine-driven apparatus, a Chevrolet truck, and began holding fireman's carnivals to raise funds for fire service; and
WHEREAS, for many years, Warrenton had a fire chief, but no organized firefighters; when an alarm rang at the local court house, anyone who was able could retrieve the apparatus and proceed to the scene of the fire; and
WHEREAS, in early 1924, a group of citizens met to discuss organizing a fire department, and the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company was officially established on December 3, 1924, with William Bartenstein as fire chief, B. H. Smith as captain, A. S. Hamilton as first lieutenant, W. A. Ash as second lieutenant, Lester Burke as president, C. Irvin Garrett as secretary-treasurer, and C. C. Butler as official truck driver, as well as several other charter members; and
WHEREAS, throughout its history, the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company has prided itself on owning and operating the best equipment it can afford, beginning with a 1925 American LaFrance Pumper; the company currently operates two pumpers, a 3,000-gallon tanker, a heavy rescue truck, a 100-foot aerial tower, a brush truck, and two ambulances; and
WHEREAS, in 2023, the highly trained and certified members of the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company responded to 2,339 calls for fire service and 4,803 medical emergencies; and
WHEREAS, in addition to their regular duties, the members of the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company provided public fire safety education and they have provided generous outreach in the community through participation in the Toys for Tots program; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company hereby be commended on the occasion of its 100th anniversary of service to the residents of Warrenton; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the company's commitment to innovation in fire service and dedication to safeguarding members of the community.
