83R21356 BPG-D
By: Wu H.R. No. 1549
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Houston Fire Department is honoring 115
firefighters who have gone beyond the call of duty at its 2013 Valor
and Service Awards ceremony on April 27; and
WHEREAS, Established in 1838 as a single station, Protection
Company No. 1, the Houston Fire Department provided volunteer
service for the first 57 years of its history; it became a
professional organization in 1895, and today it ranks as the third
largest fire department in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The dedicated first responders of HFD protect a
population of more than two million in an area of more than 650
square miles; in recent years, the department has evolved into a
highly sophisticated public safety rescue system that addresses a
wide range of responsibilities, among which are hazardous materials
incidents, technical rescue, tactical medicine, swift water
rescue, and social service calls; its firefighters have saved
hundreds of lives and prevented countless injuries and illnesses;
and
WHEREAS, Acknowledging firefighters who exemplify the
departmental motto of "Courage, Commitment, and Compassion," the
HFD Valor Awards Committee is recognizing Doug Adams, Stephen
Alders, Clayton Angleton, Jason Archibald, David Armstrong, Carlos
Arriola, Kenneth Baranowski, John Barrientes, Lary Batiste, Manuel
Bedoy, Albert Bennett, Maurice Bingham, Paul Box, Gregory Brisby,
Brian Burgess, Timothy Burke, Cornelius Burton, Manuel Caballero,
Gunther Cabarcas, Salvador Carbajal, Robert Carnes, Donald Carter,
James Carter, Scott Clements, John Cody, Michael Collins, Denny
Cooley, Joshua Cruey, Patrick Curtis, Gaylon Davenport, Jose
Davilla, Maurice Davis, Michael Davis, James Donnelly, William
Dowling, Stephen Drake, Kenneth Faterkowski, and Cresencio
Fonseca; and
WHEREAS, Additional honorees include Juan Garcia, Valentin
Garcia, Michael Gibson, Jason Gillum, Leocadio Gonzales, George
Gorenflo, Bruce Greenberg, William Hageman, Walter Hayes, Brian
Hendrickson, Marcus Hernandez, Ruben Hernandez, Mark Herring,
Travis Hobbs, Brandon Hodges, Anthony Jackson, Breck Jackson,
Jeffrey Johnson, Cornell Jones, Jeremiah Jones, Joshua Lacour,
Calvin Lawson, James Lofton, Jeffrey Lundquist, Ashley Mabe,
Richard Mackert, Mark Martinez, Renaud Matthew, Rashead McGuire,
Michelle McLeod, Craig Moreau, Latonia Moutra, Orlando Munoz, and
Timothy Neal; and
WHEREAS, Other individuals receiving commendations are Pete
Ng, Jacob Olsen, Tod Paget, James Peirce, Wesley Pleasant, Gregory
Politte, Cody Pope, Randy Qualls, Luis Ramos, Christopher Rhule,
Guillermo Rice, Joel Rincon, Gerardo Riojas, Iris Rodriguez,
Armondo Salazar, William Salazar, Christopher Scarbrough, Edward
Schnur, Tommy Scott, Valerie Seymour, Bryan Sky-Eagle, Derrick
Snowden, Kenneth Sorensen, Allison Stein, Richard Sullivan, Eugene
Thomas, Christopher Tobola, Jose Trevino, Tony Trinidad, Carson
Tucker, Cynthia Vargas, John Walker, Mindi Ward, Gary Wood, and
Bryan Zaharis; and
WHEREAS, Through their unwavering commitment to excellence,
these skilled professionals have contributed immeasurably to the
safety and well-being of their fellow citizens, and their
accomplishments indeed merit special recognition; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the honorees at the Houston Fire
Department 2013 Valor and Service Awards ceremony and extend to
them sincere best wishes for continued success in their important
work; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the Houston Fire Department as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.