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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Municipalities continually struggle to maintain
3necessary funds for the compensation of full-time emergency
4responders; as such, municipalities turn to the aid of
5volunteers to supplement necessary services; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Volunteer emergency responders often go
7unappreciated for all of their long hours and incomprehensible
8skill sets; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Volunteer emergency responders endure hours of
10training in preparation of disasters and emergencies; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Emergency responders are required to become
12proficient in emergency medical training and numerous other
13skills; and
 
14    WHEREAS, These volunteer firefighters, emergency medical
15technicians (EMTs), divers, rescue squads, and response teams
16risk their lives daily to help the needs of their community;
17and
 
18    WHEREAS, These individuals respond to emergency calls at
19any moment, at any time of the day, often leaving their
20families and full-time jobs on a moment's notice; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Volunteer firefighters, EMTs, divers, rescue
2squads, and response teams risk their lives on emergency calls
3and are compensated by either small stipends or no pay at all;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, The contributions and sacrifices of volunteer
6firefighters, EMTs, divers, rescue squads, and response teams
7and their families often go unrecognized; and
 
8    WHEREAS, There are over 30,000 people serving throughout
9the State of Illinois as volunteer firefighters and EMTs; and
 
10    WHEREAS, According the United States Fire Administration,
1160% of firefighter deaths in the United States in 2011 have
12been volunteer servicers; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
15CONCURRING HEREIN, that we honor these volunteer emergency
16responders, who serve without compensation, and constantly
17risk their lives on a daily basis to retain the safety of their
18communities, by proclaiming the third Thursday in May of 2012
19as Volunteer Emergency Responder Appreciation Day in the State
20of Illinois.