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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, Chief Rick Townsend concluded his tenure with the |
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| 6 | 7 | | Forney Fire Department on April 10, 2020, following more than four |
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| 7 | 8 | | decades of outstanding service to the agency; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed first responder began his career with |
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| 9 | 10 | | what was then the Forney Volunteer Fire Department on April 10, |
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| 10 | 11 | | 1976; he continued to serve the VFD in a number of roles even after |
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| 11 | 12 | | joining the Garland Fire Department two years later, and he retired |
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| 12 | 13 | | from his job as a firefighter in Garland in 2006 to assume the |
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| 13 | 14 | | position of Forney fire chief; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of his tenure with the Forney FD, |
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| 15 | 16 | | Chief Townsend saw the department transition from a volunteer |
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| 16 | 17 | | organization to a professional agency with dozens of full-time |
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| 17 | 18 | | employees at two fire stations; under his guidance, the department |
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| 18 | 19 | | developed partnerships with a number of other emergency response |
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| 19 | 20 | | organizations in the region, and he was instrumental in |
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| 20 | 21 | | establishing the annual "Toys for Forney Kids" drive; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Rick Townsend has demonstrated an exceptional |
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| 22 | 23 | | commitment to protecting the lives and property of his fellow |
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| 23 | 24 | | citizens, and he may indeed reflect with pride on his long record of |
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| 24 | 25 | | achievement; now, therefore, be it |
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| 25 | 26 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 26 | 27 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Rick Townsend on his retirement as |
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| 27 | 28 | | chief of the Forney Fire Department and extend to him sincere best |
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| 28 | 29 | | wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 29 | 30 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 30 | 31 | | prepared for Chief Townsend as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 31 | 32 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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