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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It has come to the attention of this body that the
3East Joliet Fire Department is celebrating the 75th anniversary
4of its founding; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In March of 1939, a vote was held at A.O. Marshall
6School in Joliet concerning the building of the Department,
7which was overwhelmingly approved; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Before the department had any equipment or a
9formal organization, William J. Bolton was selected to serve as
10Chief of the Department; and
 
11    WHEREAS, In June of 1940, the Department acquired its first
12piece of equipment, a chemical truck purchased from the Orland
13Park Fire Department; later that year, the firemen built a
142-bay fire station at 409 Leach Avenue in Joliet and a 1936
15tanker was purchased; in September of 1942, a third truck was
16obtained from the Dwight Fire Department; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 1950, 2-way radios were purchased for all of
18the Department's trucks; in 1953, 30 home receivers were placed
19in the volunteers' homes to alert them about fire calls; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1959, an election was held to form a Fire

 

 

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1Protection District, which was overwhelmingly approved; and
 
2    WHEREAS, In April of 1963, Chief Bolton passed away and
3Robert J. Klint was selected to serve as the next Chief of the
4Department; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In May of 1964, a second station was built at 102
6East Zarley Boulevard in Joliet; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In 1978, a third fire station was built at 911
8South Briggs Street in Joliet; this station now serves as
9headquarters for the Department; and
 
10    WHEREAS, In February of 2000, Chief Klint passed away and
11Robert F. Scholtes, Jr. was appointed as acting chief; in
12October of 2000, Robert F. Scholtes, Jr. was appointed to serve
13as Chief of the Fire Department; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Today, the East Joliet Fire Department has 12
15full-time firefighters and a core group of part-time and paid
16on-call firefighters who operate 2 engines, one 105-foot ladder
17truck, one heavy rescue truck, 3 ALS ambulances, and one
184-wheel-drive brush truck; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we

 

 

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1congratulate the members of the East Joliet Fire Department on
2the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its founding, commend
3their dedication and selfless service, and extend our best
4wishes to them for continued success in the future; and be it
5further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to Robert F. Scholtes, Jr. as a symbol of our esteem
8and respect.