SLS 15RS-2225 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 147
BY SENATOR MURRAY
COMMENDATIONS. Commends New Orleans firefighter Roddrick C. Harrison for his
heroic actions in saving lives and combating a major fire in an inhabited dwelling in the
French Quarter.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend New Orleans firefighter Roddrick C. Harrison for his heroic actions in saving
3 lives and combating a major fire in an inhabited dwelling in the French Quarter.
4 WHEREAS, Roddrick C. Harrison joined the New Orleans Fire Department on
5 August 23, 2009, taking the oath to protect and serve the people of his community and to
6 always put their lives before his own personal safety and protect them and their property;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, firefighter Harrison was off duty in the early morning hours of
9 Saturday, March 2, 2015, when he noticed flames coming from the roof of a house located
10 at Frenchman and Burgundy Streets in the French Quarter; and
11 WHEREAS, he immediately reported the fire and gave a description of the location
12 to assist responding firefighting companies as they raced to reach the burning building and
13 battle the growing blaze; and
14 WHEREAS, firefighter Harrison reached the front of the burning structure and was
15 met by an adult female resident of the house who desperately told him that her daughter was
16 trapped in an upstairs bedroom; and
17 WHEREAS, the off duty firefighter, without hesitation, entered the home on his
18 hands and knees to avoid the thick black smoke and rescued an adult male and female who
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SLS 15RS-2225 ORIGINAL
1 were still upstairs in the bed asleep; and
2 WHEREAS, firefighter Harrison was forced to drag the two inhabitants out of bed
3 and down the stairs due to their disorientation from the billowing smoke and confusion from
4 the middle-of-the-night blaze; and
5 WHEREAS, he got the male and female to safety but had to reenter the burning
6 building to rescue another male who ran back into the fire to get clothing for the female
7 victim; and
8 WHEREAS, he was successful in forcing the second male to evacuate the fiery house
9 as the crew of Engine 27 of the New Orleans Fire Department arrived to battle the blaze and
10 he then began assisting his fellow first responders in the dangerous job before them by
11 hooking hoses to water hydrants and starting to extinguish the fire; and
12 WHEREAS, firefighter Harrison, even though he was off duty, never hesitated and
13 was very decisive as he performed his duties with uncommon valor and saved multiple lives
14 from a fiery death.
15 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
16 does hereby extend its highest commendations to New Orleans firefighter Roddrick C.
17 Harrison for his incredible bravery in saving lives from the early morning fire and preventing
18 a tragedy from resulting.
19 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
20 applauds firefighter Roddrick C. Harrison for his actions taken to rescue victims of the fire
21 and recognizes that he embodies everything that a firefighter should be when lives and
22 property are at risk.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
24 Roddrick C. Harrison.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Heyward Jeffers.
DIGEST
SR 147 Original 2015 Regular Session Murray
Commends N.O. firefighter Roddrick C. Harrison for his heroism in saving lives from a
burning, inhabited dwelling on March 2, 2015.
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