2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 623
Commending Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 17, 2025
Agreed to by the Senate, February 19, 2025
WHEREAS, for more than 75 years, Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department has safeguarded the lives and property of the residents of Drakes Branch in Charlotte County; and
WHEREAS, Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1949 by local residents seeking to provide better fire service for their fellow members of the rural community; and
WHEREAS, Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department's first fire truck was a modified construction vehicle that had been donated by the contractors who built the Pacific Mills factory in Drakes Branch; and
WHEREAS, members of the Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department donated land for the first fire station, which was completed in 1950; the original station was designed primarily to house the fire truck, and the department worked with the local government officials to create an addition that also included space for town offices; and
WHEREAS, after Tropical Storm Michael in 2018, the Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department station was severely damaged by flooding; several members stored fire apparatuses at their homes while others donated new land to rebuild; and
WHEREAS, the Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department further cemented its close relationship with the town by working together to construct another building to serve as both a fire station and town offices; and
WHEREAS, the Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department currently serves the community with 32 regular members, 11 lifetime members, 10 associate members, and two junior members; and
WHEREAS, the Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department works diligently to pursue grants and other sources of funding to ensure that its members have access to top-of-the-line equipment and the best possible training, including advanced life support training and other emergency medical procedures; and
WHEREAS, the Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department has responded to countless fires, vehicle crashes, medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other crisis situations, touching the lives of generations of Charlotte County residents; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department on the occasion of its 75th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for its long history of service to the Charlotte County community.