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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, The insurance company VFIS, a division of Glatfelter |
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| 6 | 7 | | Insurance Group, is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, In the late 1960s, insurance executive Arthur |
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| 8 | 9 | | J. Glatfelter recognized a need in the emergency service sector for |
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| 9 | 10 | | specialized insurance coverage, so in 1969 he established Volunteer |
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| 10 | 11 | | Firemen's Insurance Services, Inc., in Pennsylvania; during the |
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| 11 | 12 | | company's early years, he visited hundreds of fire service |
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| 12 | 13 | | organizations in order to learn their concerns; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Known today as VFIS, the company has become one of |
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| 14 | 15 | | the nation's leading providers of insurance, education, training, |
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| 15 | 16 | | and consulting services for emergency service organizations; it is |
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| 16 | 17 | | also a member of Glatfelter Program Managers, a group that offers |
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| 17 | 18 | | similar services to other governmental and nonprofit institutions; |
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| 18 | 19 | | and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, VFIS issued its first policies in Texas in 1976, and |
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| 20 | 21 | | today it insures more than 1,500 nonprofit emergency service |
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| 21 | 22 | | organizations in the Lone Star State, including volunteer fire |
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| 22 | 23 | | departments and ambulance and rescue squads; through the years, the |
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| 23 | 24 | | company has paid thousands of claims, playing a vital role in the |
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| 24 | 25 | | aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Rita, Ike, and |
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| 25 | 26 | | Harvey, as well as the 2013 fertilizer plant explosion in West; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, For half a century, VFIS has helped to ensure |
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| 27 | 28 | | greater financial security for the emergency responders who risk |
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| 28 | 29 | | their own safety to preserve the lives and property of the public, |
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| 29 | 30 | | and it is indeed fitting to recognize the company as it marks this |
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| 30 | 31 | | milestone year in its history; now, therefore, be it |
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| 31 | 32 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 32 | 33 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of VFIS and |
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| 33 | 34 | | extend to all those associated with the company sincere best wishes |
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| 34 | 35 | | for the future; and, be it further |
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| 35 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 36 | 37 | | prepared for VFIS as an expression of high regard by the Texas House |
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| 37 | 38 | | of Representatives. |
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