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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, During the month of March 2017, the Texas Panhandle |
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| 6 | 7 | | suffered multiple, massive wildfires, and Kory McLaughlin of the |
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| 7 | 8 | | Mobeetie Volunteer Fire Department was part of a coalition of first |
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| 8 | 9 | | responders who fought heroically and tenaciously to save the lives |
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| 9 | 10 | | and property of Texans in the region; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Fueled by dry vegetation, high winds, and |
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| 11 | 12 | | unseasonably hot weather, the fast-moving wildfires broke out on |
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| 12 | 13 | | March 6 and raged for days, destroying around 500,000 acres of Texas |
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| 13 | 14 | | prairie land and resulting in the death of four people; the fires |
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| 14 | 15 | | were some of the largest in state history and led to Governor Greg |
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| 15 | 16 | | Abbott's declaring a state of emergency in six counties; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, The combined efforts of fire personnel from around |
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| 17 | 18 | | and beyond the region, including members of local volunteer fire |
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| 18 | 19 | | departments, were needed to contain the blazes; working exhausting |
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| 19 | 20 | | hours in perilous conditions, these dedicated individuals risked |
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| 20 | 21 | | their lives to halt the fires' rampage and rescue residents, and |
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| 21 | 22 | | their contributions were vital to averting further tragedy and |
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| 22 | 23 | | destruction; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, In answering the call of duty during this |
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| 24 | 25 | | catastrophic crisis, Kory McLaughlin demonstrated an extraordinary |
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| 25 | 26 | | commitment to protecting the safety of his fellow citizens, and he |
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| 26 | 27 | | has earned the enduring gratitude and admiration of Texans across |
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| 27 | 28 | | the state; now, therefore, be it |
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| 28 | 29 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 29 | 30 | | Legislature hereby commend Kory McLaughlin of the Mobeetie |
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| 30 | 31 | | Volunteer Fire Department for his bravery, skill, and dedication in |
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| 31 | 32 | | fighting the Texas Panhandle wildfires of March 2017 and extend to |
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| 32 | 33 | | him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 33 | 34 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 34 | 35 | | prepared for Mr. McLaughlin as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 35 | 36 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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