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2007 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 810
Commending the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 9, 2007
Agreed to by the Senate, February 15, 2007

 

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company celebrated 100 years of outstanding service to the residents of the Town of Shenandoah in 2006; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company began its century of commitment in 1906 when a group of 30 concerned citizens petitioned the town to formally organize a firehouse to serve the growing community; and

WHEREAS, according to the United States census, nearly 1,220 people lived in Shenandoah in 1900, and the success of the town’s early fire company was dependent upon the Norfolk and Western Railroad, which maintained about 100 employees and signaled volunteers to fight fires by the sound of a steam locomotive’s whistle; and

WHEREAS, one blast meant a fire between Second Street and the Shenandoah River and two meant a fire between Second and Fifth Streets, south of Virginia Avenue, and so on across the town towards outlying areas; and

WHEREAS, the only water source for the fire company in the early days was a long reel of hose that firefighters would pull along to a burning home, barn, or haystack, from which water buckets would be filled for dousing the fires; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company upgraded, purchasing its own fire siren in 1910, and the crew captured a reel-pulling contest in Newport News in 1911, winning a $100 prize; and

WHEREAS, by 1915 the fire company was fighting fires with a horse-drawn steamer, and by 1925 the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company had purchased a Chevrolet pumper truck; and

WHEREAS, a new fire company building was dedicated in 1968 with five bays, a spacious recreation hall, and a modern second floor kitchen; and

WHEREAS, today, the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company commands three Class A pumpers, a tanker, a brush unit, a squad/salvage unit, two utility units, and a rescue boat; and

WHEREAS, volunteers of the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company answer more than 250 emergency calls each year and about half of the fire company’s $120,000 annual budget is acquired by donations; and

WHEREAS, the volunteer firefighters of the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company are trained on modern equipment and certified as highly qualified firefighters and first responders, specializing in fire and disaster response, medical techniques, and other lifesaving skills; and

WHEREAS, the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company’s most valuable assets are the 108 members, including 34 life members, who generously give their time, diverse skills, and extraordinary commitment to help safeguard citizens, property, and the quality of life in the Town of Shenandoah; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company on its 100 years of outstanding service to the residents of the Town of Shenandoah; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation for its longtime service and best wishes for future success.