SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2012 SESSION

12105269D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 404
Offered February 16, 2012
Commending Carlton W. Collins, Sr.
----------
Patron-- Lewis
----------

WHEREAS, Carlton W. Collins, Sr., who has been a member of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company for more than 70 years, joined the department on December 15, 1941; and

WHEREAS, when Carlton W. “Corky” Collins, Sr., first joined the company and heard the fire alarm bell sound, he often would stand in front of his house and jump aboard the fire truck as it went by, saving time by not having to drive to the firehouse; and

WHEREAS, in his early days as a member of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, Corky Collins frequently drove an ambulance; it was commonplace to work alone while on ambulance duty and he served as both driver and medic; and

WHEREAS, Corky Collins worked for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company when the squad’s vehicles were not heated; if the department responded to a call from the mainland, all of the responders endured bitter cold as the trucks crossed over from Chincoteague Island; and

WHEREAS, as a firefighter, Corky Collins was a pump operator and driver for the engines, and as the years have passed, he has seen great advances in firefighting vehicles and other first-response equipment; and

WHEREAS, the funding for a fire unit comes in large part from department-sponsored fundraising events; Corky Collins worked for years at the Chincoteague fire company’s annual carnival, where he served hand-dipped ice cream, supervised the carousel ride, and worked at the bingo stand; and

WHEREAS, Corky Collins helped build a new section of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company’s firehouse in 1957; this addition was one example of how the fire company has worked to provide the highest level of firefighting skill and technology to the people of Chincoteague; and

WHEREAS, as a young man, Corky Collins worked on his father’s oyster boats, operated a passenger boat service, raised poultry commercially, and owned several oyster houses; in 1965 he began working for NASA, retiring in 1987; and

WHEREAS, Corky Collins was married six months after he joined the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company; in June 2012, he and his wife, Frances, will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend an outstanding Virginian and dedicated firefighter, Carlton W. Collins, Sr.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Carlton W. Collins, Sr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect and gratitude for his many decades of public service to the people and businesses of Chincoteague.