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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Residents of Del Rio lost an esteemed public servant |
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| 8 | 9 | | with the passing of former Del Rio fire chief George Joe Harrington |
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| 9 | 10 | | on December 16, 2024, at the age of 69; and |
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| 10 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Joe Harrington was born in Del Rio on |
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| 11 | 12 | | December 15, 1955, and he began his tenure with the city in 1974 |
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| 12 | 13 | | when he joined the Del Rio Volunteer Fire Department; he was hired |
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| 13 | 14 | | on as a full-time employee of the Del Rio Fire Department in 1977, |
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| 14 | 15 | | and he earned his firefighter basic certification the following |
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| 15 | 16 | | year; named the DRFD Paid Firefighter of the Year in 1984, 1991, and |
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| 16 | 17 | | 1996, he was awarded the department's medal of honor for his actions |
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| 17 | 18 | | during a citywide flood in 1998; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Harrington was promoted to assistant chief in |
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| 19 | 20 | | 2006, and he served in the positions of operations chief, training |
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| 20 | 21 | | chief, and assistant to the emergency management coordinator; in |
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| 21 | 22 | | 2013, he was appointed deputy chief, and he became task force leader |
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| 22 | 23 | | over agricultural rescue, automobile extrication, and trench |
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| 23 | 24 | | rescue for the Annual Municipal Texas Fire Training School; he took |
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| 24 | 25 | | over the department as fire chief in 2017 and served in that role |
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| 25 | 26 | | until his retirement in 2021, which drew to a close a career that |
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| 26 | 27 | | spanned nearly four and a half decades; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Chief Harrington enjoyed the |
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| 28 | 29 | | love and support of a family that included his life partner of 25 |
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| 29 | 30 | | years, Marta Rodriguez; beyond his professional duties, he spent |
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| 30 | 31 | | time volunteering for events at the Whitehead Memorial Museum, |
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| 31 | 32 | | where he served on the board, and he was also a member of the Del Rio |
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| 32 | 33 | | Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs Committee; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Dedicated to the safety and well-being of his fellow |
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| 34 | 35 | | citizens, Joe Harrington exemplified the highest ideals of his |
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| 35 | 36 | | profession, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to |
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| 36 | 37 | | inspire all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 37 | 38 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 38 | 39 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of George Joe Harrington |
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| 39 | 40 | | and extend heartfelt sympathy to all who mourn his passing; and, be |
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| 40 | 41 | | it further |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 42 | 43 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 43 | 44 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Joe |
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| 44 | 45 | | Harrington. |
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