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2006 SESSION

068408472
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 226
Offered January 23, 2006
Commending J. Peter Holland III.
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Patron-- Purkey
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WHEREAS, on a cold December afternoon in 1951, J. Peter Holland III found himself at the scene of an accident in "the village" as most local residents called Virginia Beach; and

WHEREAS, Virginia Beach was a sleepy little resort stretching from Rudee Inlet to 49th Street with a population of just 10,000; and

WHEREAS, when Peter Holland called for an ambulance to assist an injured woman at the scene, the Fire Department said its ambulance was disabled and unable to respond; and

WHEREAS, with nowhere to turn, Peter Holland called the Fort Story Army installation, but the dispensary was hesitant to send assistance because the injured person was not in the military; and

WHEREAS, Peter Holland persisted and nearly an hour after his initial call an ambulance from Fort Story responded to take the woman to Virginia Beach General Hospital, just three blocks away; and

WHEREAS, Peter Holland, thoroughly dissatisfied, rounded up some friends and discussed the urgent need for an active volunteer ambulance service in Virginia Beach; and

WHEREAS, after days of discussion and meetings with the Fredericksburg Rescue Squad, the group returned home with a vision and a plan; and

WHEREAS, Peter Holland worked tirelessly to secure funding and equipment, including a $500 donation from the Virginia Beach City Council and the Princess Anne County Board of Supervisors; and

WHEREAS, the prospective members took the standard first aid course offered by the American Red Cross and uniforms and equipment were purchased; and

WHEREAS, as a result of the civic mindedness of Peter Holland, on May 1, 1952, the Princess Anne-Virginia Beach Rescue Squad, Inc., began operations with 22 charter members and one associate member; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend J. Peter Holland III; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to J. Peter Holland III as an expression of the General Assembly’s gratitude for his outstanding service to the citizens and visitors of the City of Virginia Beach.