HR0354 LRB096 12614 GRL 26010 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Leland J. Watson on
4 the occasion of his retirement as Chief of the Normal Fire
5 Department in 2009 after 37 years of dedicated service; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Leland Watson began his service with the Normal
7 Fire Department as a firefighter in 1972; he was appointed to
8 the rank of Lieutenant in 1975, followed by a promotion to
9 Assistant Fire Chief in 1986; he then continued his steady
10 ascent through the department's ranks, becoming the
11 department's Chief in 1997, where he remained until his
12 retirement; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Under Chief Watson's leadership, the Normal Fire
14 Department has grown from a department of 48 employees with two
15 fire stations and an annual budget of $2.8 million in 1997 to a
16 department of 66 employees with three fire stations and an
17 annual budget of $7.2 million in 2009; and
 
18     WHEREAS, The Normal Fire Department has also undergone many
19 improvements during Chief Watson's tenure, including the
20 implementation of an increased level of emergency medical
21 service provided by the Fire Department, from Basic Life
22 Support to Paramedic Life Support; the improvement of Normal's

 

 

HR0354 - 2 - LRB096 12614 GRL 26010 r

1 Public Protection Classification rating by the Insurance
2 Services Office (ISO) from a "Class 3" to a "Class 2", which
3 ranks Normal among 60 other communities in Illinois and 595
4 communities across the United States with a rating of Class 2
5 or better; the implementation of a comprehensive Public
6 Education program in the Fire Prevention Division to promote
7 fire safety and awareness; the revision of the department
8 Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Reserve to plan and fund
9 future vehicle and equipment purchases; the development of a
10 Technical Rescue Team; the department's participation in the
11 Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) for coordinated mutual aid
12 response among Fire Departments throughout the State of
13 Illinois; and the construction and staffing of the department's
14 third fire station; therefore, be it
 
15     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
17 congratulate Leland J. Watson on the occasion of his retirement
18 and wish him many happy and healthy retirement years; and be it
19 further
 
20     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
21 presented to Leland Watson as a symbol of our esteem and
22 respect.