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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to recognize the actions of the emergency | ||||||
| 4 | medical service (EMS) workers, law enforcement, fire fighters, | ||||||
| 5 | and IDOT workers who responded to the multi-vehicle crash on | ||||||
| 6 | Interstate 55 caused by a dust storm on May 1, 2023; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, The dust storm caused crashes involving 72 | ||||||
| 8 | vehicles, which resulted in seven fatalities and multiple | ||||||
| 9 | injuries on Interstate 55 within a two-mile stretch between | ||||||
| 10 | mileposts 76 to 78; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Those responding to the incident included | ||||||
| 12 | Assistant Chief Brian Byers of the Farmersville/Waggoner Fire | ||||||
| 13 | Protection District who took command, Chief Mike Webb who | ||||||
| 14 | arrived on-scene after AC Byers and wisely allowed Brian to | ||||||
| 15 | continue as incident commander because he was doing such a | ||||||
| 16 | fine job, the firefighters who tackled the raging fire, Chief | ||||||
| 17 | Adam Pennock on his first day as full-time fire chief for the | ||||||
| 18 | Litchfield Fire Department who worked hand in hand with Brian | ||||||
| 19 | Byers on getting the victims transported in a timely fashion, | ||||||
| 20 | Chief Jess McKee and members of the Carlinville Fire | ||||||
| 21 | Department who dealt with removal of the deceased victims, | ||||||
| 22 | Tyson Holhouser with the sheriff's office and other local | ||||||
| 23 | police who maintained the safety of the roadways, Casey Canter | ||||||
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| 1 | who stayed at the landing zone and performed flawlessly, and | ||||||
| 2 | all the EMS staff who shined on this horrible day; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Predominantly volunteer firefighters and EMS | ||||||
| 4 | staff responded to the multi-vehicle crash, taking time away | ||||||
| 5 | from family, friends, and jobs to respond to an incident that | ||||||
| 6 | was more reminiscent of a war zone or Hollywood movie set than | ||||||
| 7 | anything that could have been imagined; their professionalism | ||||||
| 8 | and capabilities were awe inspiring, and this community, | ||||||
| 9 | county, and State owes them a debt of gratitude and can rest | ||||||
| 10 | assured that the finest first responders in America are right | ||||||
| 11 | here in the heartland; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, The actions of these first responders saved lives | ||||||
| 13 | and ensured the injured were receiving critical medical care | ||||||
| 14 | in a timely manner; therefore, be it
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| 15 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 16 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 17 | we recognize the actions of the emergency medical service | ||||||
| 18 | (EMS) workers, law enforcement, fire fighters, and IDOT | ||||||
| 19 | workers who responded to the multi-vehicle crash on Interstate | ||||||
| 20 | 55 caused by a dust storm on May 1, 2023; and be it further
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| 21 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 22 | delivered to all first responders who responded to the crash.
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