Bill Text: VA SJR79 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Department.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-05 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ79ER) [SJR79 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SJR79-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, for 100 years, the Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Department has provided critical emergency services and worked diligently to safeguard the lives and property of Culpeper County residents; and
WHEREAS, Company One of the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department was organized and chartered in January 1924, with an original roster of 19 members and J. William Swan as the first chief; and
WHEREAS, the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department's first apparatus was a 1923 LaFrance Brockway Torpedo, and the department used commercial pumpers manufactured by Ford, Chevrolet, or Dodge for many years before purchasing a custom pumper in 1979; and
WHEREAS, the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department firehouse was originally located on West Davis Street in Culpeper; in 1924, the building was razed to accommodate construction of a new municipal building, where the department was located until 1960, when it moved to its current location nearby; and
WHEREAS, in the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department's early days, members used canvas rain coats and leather gloves from local hardware stores, and some members used construction helmets or surplus metal helmets from World War I; and
WHEREAS, the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department has grown to become the busiest fire company in Culpeper County with a service area covering 383 square miles and more than 50,000 residents; the department answered 913 calls for service in 2023; and
WHEREAS, the members of the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department are trained to the highest standards and equipped with a full range of firefighting and emergency response equipment, all purchased with donations from community members; and
WHEREAS, the all-volunteer members of the Culpeper Volunteer Fire Department come from many different backgrounds and all walks of life; numerous firefighters have also served the nation in the military, and the department has proudly counted veterans of every major war since World War I among its ranks; and
WHEREAS, over the years the Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Department has benefited from the able leadership of 14 chiefs, all of whom have upheld the department's high standards, commitment to professionalism, and dedication to duty; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Department on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to President Steve Corbin and Chief Kenny Mills of the Culpeper County Volunteer Fire Department, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the department's long history and legacy of service to the Culpeper County community.
