Full Text of HR0661 94th General Assembly
HR0661 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HR0661 |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Hickory Point Fire Protection District, which | 3 |
| celebrates its 50th anniversary on October 15, 2005, serves the | 4 |
| Village of Forsyth, Hickory Point Township, and portions of | 5 |
| Decatur; and
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| WHEREAS, The passage of a referendum in May 1953, created | 7 |
| the Hickory Point Fire Protection District; following the | 8 |
| election, the Macon County Circuit Court appointed the | 9 |
| District's first trustees, Hoyt Coverstone, Edward Drobisch, | 10 |
| and A.D. Tillman; and
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| WHEREAS, The Hickory Point District had humble beginnings; | 12 |
| in the first year, the District's tax revenue was $1,600; the | 13 |
| next year, its tax revenues were cut in half because some land | 14 |
| owners successfully petitioned the court to withdraw from the | 15 |
| District; since Hickory Point could not afford a fire truck, it | 16 |
| contracted with nearby fire protection districts to provide | 17 |
| service for its territory; and
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| WHEREAS, After Caterpillar opened a plant within the | 19 |
| Hickory Point District, tax revenues increased and met the | 20 |
| District's needs; the assessed valuation of property in the | 21 |
| District quickly grew from $1.6 million in the first year to | 22 |
| $16.6 million in 1955; with the increased tax revenue, the | 23 |
| Board purchased a fire truck for $10,000; and
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| WHEREAS, Since the District did not have a firehouse in | 25 |
| 1955, Everett "Bud" Hinkle garaged the fire truck; Bud notified | 26 |
| the 25 firefighters of an alarm in the only way he could, he | 27 |
| blared the siren as he drove, picking up volunteer firefighters | 28 |
| on the way to the fire; and
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| WHEREAS, In 1971, the Hickory Point firefighters responded | 30 |
| to about 30 fire calls per year; today, the Department has 28 |
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| firefighters who respond to over 350 fire or medical emergency | 2 |
| calls per year; and | 3 |
| WHEREAS, From the days of one fire truck and only a siren | 4 |
| to notify volunteer firefighters, Hickory Point so progressed | 5 |
| that it now owns nine fire and rescue vehicles and now reaches | 6 |
| firefighters with radios, pagers, and cell phones; and | 7 |
| WHEREAS, The Hickory Point Fire Department proudly serves | 8 |
| 4500 people in residential areas and on farms; additionally, | 9 |
| the District has the responsibility to render emergency | 10 |
| assistance to the employees and customers at the Hickory Point | 11 |
| Mall, home centers, motels, restaurants, theaters, and a | 12 |
| petroleum storage facility and truck terminal; and | 13 |
| WHEREAS, The Fire Department provides 5 important | 14 |
| services: firefighting; hazardous material response; advanced | 15 |
| life support emergency medical service, vehicle rescue | 16 |
| (extrication), and search and rescue; and | 17 |
| WHEREAS, Hickory Point presents an elementary school fire | 18 |
| and safety program each year in Forsyth; the Department's cadet | 19 |
| program helps high school students explore fire service | 20 |
| careers, partake in selected firefighter training, and provide | 21 |
| limited support to firefighters or EMTs on emergency calls; and | 22 |
| WHEREAS, The Hickory Point Fire Protection District will | 23 |
| honor its history, the selfless service and bravery of its | 24 |
| firefighters and firefighters/EMTs, and all former District | 25 |
| trustees at an Open House at the Hickory Point Fire Station and | 26 |
| at the annual dinner sponsored by the Hickory Point Volunteer | 27 |
| Firefighters, on October 15, 2005; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 29 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 30 |
| we congratulate the Hickory Point Fire Protection District and |
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| the Hickory Point Volunteer Firefighters on the District's 50th | 2 |
| anniversary, and we thank the District and the firefighters for | 3 |
| their tireless devotion to the emergency, fire, medical, and | 4 |
| safety needs of the Forsyth and Hickory Point communities | 5 |
| during the last five decades; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 7 |
| presented to the Hickory Point Fire Protection District as an | 8 |
| expression of our esteem.
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