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2017 SESSION


SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 135
Commending Wanda Willis.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, February 9, 2017
 

WHEREAS, Wanda Willis retired as a lieutenant with the Harrisonburg Fire Department on December 31, 2016, after more than 30 years of working to serve and safeguard the members of the community as a dispatcher and fire prevention officer; and

WHEREAS, Wanda Willis began her career as a dispatcher for Augusta County in 1982, then joined the Harrisonburg Fire Department as a dispatcher in 1983; and

WHEREAS, after a devastating house fire, Wanda Willis was inspired to serve the community as a part-time fire prevention specialist beginning in 1990; she oversaw the creation of several fire prevention and safety programs and became a full-time fire prevention specialist in 2001; and

WHEREAS, throughout her career, Wanda Willis presented fire prevention and safety programs to students in third grade, sixth grade, and ninth grade and designed programs for freshmen at Eastern Mennonite University and James Madison University; and

WHEREAS, Wanda Willis helped members of the community to understand the importance of fire prevention by incorporating real-world events into her lessons; she increased awareness of family escape plans and techniques families can use to prevent childhood injuries; and

WHEREAS, Wanda Willis established the Free Pizza/Free Smoke Alarm Event, where families received a free pizza for allowing firefighters to test their smoke alarms, and she supported child car seat checks, which corrected thousands of improperly installed car seats in the area; and

WHEREAS, respected for her expertise, Wanda Willis founded Safe Kids Central Shenandoah Valley and was selected to serve the Commonwealth on the State Child Fatality Review Team from 2004 to 2010, which reviews every child fatality incident in Virginia; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Wanda Willis hereby be commended for her three decades of service to the community on the occasion of her retirement as a lieutenant with the Harrisonburg Fire Department in 2016; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Wanda Willis as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s admiration for her commitment to protecting the lives and property of all Harrisonburg residents by promoting fire safety.