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| | SJ0056 | | LRB097 20577 GRL 66207 r |
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| 1 | | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | | WHEREAS, Municipalities continually struggle to maintain |
| 3 | | necessary funds for the compensation of full-time emergency |
| 4 | | responders; as such, municipalities turn to the aid of |
| 5 | | volunteers to supplement necessary services; and
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| 6 | | WHEREAS, Volunteer emergency responders often go |
| 7 | | unappreciated for all of their long hours and incomprehensible |
| 8 | | skill sets; and
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| 9 | | WHEREAS, Volunteer emergency responders endure hours of |
| 10 | | training in preparation of disasters and emergencies; and
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| 11 | | WHEREAS, Emergency responders are required to become |
| 12 | | proficient in emergency medical training and numerous other |
| 13 | | skills; and
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| 14 | | WHEREAS, These volunteer firefighters, emergency medical |
| 15 | | technicians (EMTs), divers, rescue squads, and response teams |
| 16 | | risk their lives daily to help the needs of their community; |
| 17 | | and
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| 18 | | WHEREAS, These individuals respond to emergency calls at |
| 19 | | any moment, at any time of the day, often leaving their |
| 20 | | families and full-time jobs on a moment's notice; and
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| | SJ0056 | - 2 - | LRB097 20577 GRL 66207 r |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Volunteer firefighters, EMTs, divers, rescue |
| 2 | | squads, and response teams risk their lives on emergency calls |
| 3 | | and are compensated by either small stipends or no pay at all; |
| 4 | | and
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| 5 | | WHEREAS, The contributions and sacrifices of volunteer |
| 6 | | firefighters, EMTs, divers, rescue squads, and response teams |
| 7 | | and their families often go unrecognized; and
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| 8 | | WHEREAS, There are over 30,000 people serving throughout |
| 9 | | the State of Illinois as volunteer firefighters and EMTs; and
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| 10 | | WHEREAS, According the United States Fire Administration, |
| 11 | | 60% of firefighter deaths in the United States in 2011 have |
| 12 | | been volunteer servicers; therefore, be it
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| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL |
| 14 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
| 15 | | CONCURRING HEREIN, that we honor these volunteer emergency |
| 16 | | responders, who serve without compensation, and constantly |
| 17 | | risk their lives on a daily basis to retain the safety of their |
| 18 | | communities, by proclaiming the third Thursday in May of 2012 |
| 19 | | as Volunteer Emergency Responder Appreciation Day in the State |
| 20 | | of Illinois.
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