HR0230 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0230 LRB102 18063 LAW 25052 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to commend Mitchell "Mitch" Davis for his 35 years of service and to honor his family's 112 years of service to the Eureka Fire Department; and

WHEREAS, Mitch Davis is among four generations of his family to serve the Eureka Fire Department; his maternal great-uncle, George Haecker, volunteered with the department for 55 years from 1908 until his death in 1963; his maternal grandfather and George's younger brother, Alf Haecker, served for 52 years from 1921 to 1973; his younger brother, Mike Davis, served for 20 years from 1992 to 2012; and

WHEREAS, Mitch Davis joined the Eureka Fire Department on February 6, 1985; during his career, he held every position on the department, including secretary-treasurer, captain, lieutenant, assistant chief, and chief; he served as chief from 2004 to 2006, and he was the last chief of the Eureka Fire Station before the Eureka-Goodfield Fire Protection District switched to a district chief in 2007; and

WHEREAS, During his tenure, Mitch Davis responded to more than 2,500 emergency calls, which included fires, auto extrications, rescue operations, and supporting calls for an ambulance when needed; he fought major fires at Morton buildings and Knapp Lumber in Goodfield, Hair Improvements and Leman Precast in Eureka, and Uftring Chevrolet in Washington; he helped in the aftermath of tornadoes in Eureka in May 2003, Parsons Company Inc. in Roanoke in July 2004, and Washington in November 2013; he oversaw sending personnel and equipment to two hurricane recovery efforts, which were Gustav on the East Coast in 2002 and Katrina on the Gulf Coast in 2005; and

WHEREAS, Mitch Davis retired from the Eureka Fire Department on February 29, 2020; his retirement marks the end of a 112-year legacy for his family, who served the fire department for a combined 162 years; and

WHEREAS, Mitch Davis helped in preserving the history and traditions of the Eureka Fire Department, and his leadership, knowledge, and friendship will be missed; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Mitchell "Mitch" Davis for his 35 years of service to the Eureka Fire Department and the citizens of Eureka, and we wish him well in retirement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we honor Mitch Davis' family for their 112 years of service across four generations to the Eureka Fire Department; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mitch Davis as an expression of our esteem and respect.