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2004 SESSION

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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 497 Commending the Salem Swift Water Rescue Team.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 12, 2004 Agreed to by the Senate, March 13, 2004

WHEREAS, on February 22, 2003, the Roanoke Valley experienced serious flooding, placing the lives and property of many citizens at risk; and

WHEREAS, among the agencies responding to the emergency situation was the Salem Swift Water Rescue Team, one of only three such specialized teams in the Commonwealth and the only one in Southwest Virginia; and

WHEREAS, on February 22nd and 23rd, the members of the Salem Swift Water Rescue Team assisted in saving 17 people from fast-rising floodwaters in the Salem area; and

WHEREAS, the two three-member squads evacuated homes in danger of flooding, rescued drivers trapped in floodwaters, and rescued two men in Montgomery County who were trapped in the frigid waters of the Roanoke River; and

WHEREAS, the Salem Swift Water Rescue Team, which trains quarterly, has been a regional response team for three years and has responded to emergencies as distant as Buchanan County; and

WHEREAS, the determination, expertise, and courage of the members of the Salem Swift Water Rescue Team helped prevent a wider disaster during the flooding in February 2003; and

WHEREAS, called upon repeatedly during a long and dangerous day to respond to hazardous situations, the members of the Salem Swift Water Rescue Team never hesitated in risking their own lives to assist their fellow citizens; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Salem Swift Water Rescue Team for their exceptional service to the citizens of the Roanoke Valley; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Salem Swift Water Rescue Team as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration and gratitude for their actions.