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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, In recognition of a heroic act he performed over 44 |
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| 6 | 7 | | years ago, former firefighter Ray Wells was honored when the mayor |
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| 7 | 8 | | of Waco declared February 9, 2015, as Ray Wells Day at a ceremony at |
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| 8 | 9 | | Waco Fire Station No. 1; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, During the early 1970s, at the age of 26, Mr. Wells |
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| 10 | 11 | | was a member of the Waco Fire Department for a year and a half; at |
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| 11 | 12 | | eight o'clock in the morning of November 11, 1970, he came across a |
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| 12 | 13 | | house trailer with smoke pouring out of it, and he heard a woman |
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| 13 | 14 | | screaming that her daughters, ages one and three years old, were in |
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| 14 | 15 | | the trailer; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Although he was off duty at the time, Mr. Wells |
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| 16 | 17 | | rushed through the trailer's back door and crawled on his hands and |
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| 17 | 18 | | knees through the smoke and flames until he found the two children |
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| 18 | 19 | | lying unconscious on the floor of a back bedroom; he pulled them |
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| 19 | 20 | | from the trailer and discovered that they weren't breathing, so he |
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| 20 | 21 | | helped perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on each child; they |
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| 21 | 22 | | were rushed in the back of a patrol car to a local hospital, where |
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| 22 | 23 | | the girls were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns and |
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| 23 | 24 | | released; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Now 71 years old and living in Temple, Mr. Wells was |
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| 25 | 26 | | reunited at the event in Waco with the two women he rescued more |
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| 26 | 27 | | than four decades ago; now in their 40s, Geni Burkhart and Tamara |
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| 27 | 28 | | Vetere traveled from their homes in Denver in order to surprise him |
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| 28 | 29 | | at the ceremony and thank him at long last for saving their lives; |
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| 29 | 30 | | and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, On that fateful day more than 44 years ago, Ray Wells |
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| 31 | 32 | | demonstrated tremendous courage and compassion in a desperate |
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| 32 | 33 | | situation, giving two women the greatest gift of all, a second |
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| 33 | 34 | | chance at life; now, therefore, be it |
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| 34 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 35 | 36 | | Legislature hereby honor Ray Wells for his remarkable heroism and |
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| 36 | 37 | | extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be |
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| 37 | 38 | | it further |
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| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 39 | 40 | | prepared for Mr. Wells as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | House of Representatives. |
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