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2007 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 357
Commending the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, January 25, 2007
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 2, 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 when a group of 30 concerned citizens petitioned the town to formally organize a firehouse to serve the growing community in 1906; 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 Railway, which maintained about 100 employees and signaled volunteers to fight fires by sounding the steam locomotive’s whistle; and

WHEREAS, the number of whistle blasts directed the volunteers to specific locations across the town and in outlying areas, for example, one blast meant that the fire was between Second Street and the Shenandoah River and two blasts signaled that the fire was between Second and Fifth Streets, south of Virginia Avenue; 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, filling buckets to douse often treacherous fires; and

WHEREAS, the crew of the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Company advanced, purchasing its own fire siren in 1910 and winning a reel-pulling contest in Newport News in 1911 for a notable prize of $100; 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 to be 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 Senate, the House of Delegates 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 Senate 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.