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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The Hickory Point Fire Protection District, which | ||||||
3 | celebrates its 50th anniversary on October 15, 2005, serves the | ||||||
4 | Village of Forsyth, Hickory Point Township, and portions of | ||||||
5 | Decatur; and
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6 | WHEREAS, The passage of a referendum in May 1953, created | ||||||
7 | the Hickory Point Fire Protection District; following the | ||||||
8 | election, the Macon County Circuit Court appointed the | ||||||
9 | District's first trustees, Hoyt Coverstone, Edward Drobisch, | ||||||
10 | and A.D. Tillman; and
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11 | WHEREAS, The Hickory Point District had humble beginnings; | ||||||
12 | in the first year, the District's tax revenue was $1,600; the | ||||||
13 | next year, its tax revenues were cut in half because some land | ||||||
14 | owners successfully petitioned the court to withdraw from the | ||||||
15 | District; since Hickory Point could not afford a fire truck, it | ||||||
16 | contracted with nearby fire protection districts to provide | ||||||
17 | service for its territory; and
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18 | WHEREAS, After Caterpillar opened a plant within the | ||||||
19 | Hickory Point District, tax revenues increased and met the | ||||||
20 | District's needs; the assessed valuation of property in the | ||||||
21 | District quickly grew from $1.6 million in the first year to | ||||||
22 | $16.6 million in 1955; with the increased tax revenue, the | ||||||
23 | Board purchased a fire truck for $10,000; and
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24 | WHEREAS, Since the District did not have a firehouse in | ||||||
25 | 1955, Everett "Bud" Hinkle garaged the fire truck; Bud notified | ||||||
26 | the 25 firefighters of an alarm in the only way he could, he | ||||||
27 | blared the siren as he drove, picking up volunteer firefighters | ||||||
28 | on the way to the fire; and
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29 | WHEREAS, In 1971, the Hickory Point firefighters responded | ||||||
30 | to about 30 fire calls per year; today, the Department has 28 |
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1 | firefighters who respond to over 350 fire or medical emergency | ||||||
2 | calls per year; and | ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, From the days of one fire truck and only a siren | ||||||
4 | to notify volunteer firefighters, Hickory Point so progressed | ||||||
5 | that it now owns nine fire and rescue vehicles and now reaches | ||||||
6 | firefighters with radios, pagers, and cell phones; and | ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, The Hickory Point Fire Department proudly serves | ||||||
8 | 4500 people in residential areas and on farms; additionally, | ||||||
9 | the District has the responsibility to render emergency | ||||||
10 | assistance to the employees and customers at the Hickory Point | ||||||
11 | Mall, home centers, motels, restaurants, theaters, and a | ||||||
12 | petroleum storage facility and truck terminal; and | ||||||
13 | WHEREAS, The Fire Department provides 5 important | ||||||
14 | services: firefighting; hazardous material response; advanced | ||||||
15 | life support emergency medical service, vehicle rescue | ||||||
16 | (extrication), and search and rescue; and | ||||||
17 | WHEREAS, Hickory Point presents an elementary school fire | ||||||
18 | and safety program each year in Forsyth; the Department's cadet | ||||||
19 | program helps high school students explore fire service | ||||||
20 | careers, partake in selected firefighter training, and provide | ||||||
21 | limited support to firefighters or EMTs on emergency calls; and | ||||||
22 | WHEREAS, The Hickory Point Fire Protection District will | ||||||
23 | honor its history, the selfless service and bravery of its | ||||||
24 | firefighters and firefighters/EMTs, and all former District | ||||||
25 | trustees at an Open House at the Hickory Point Fire Station and | ||||||
26 | at the annual dinner sponsored by the Hickory Point Volunteer | ||||||
27 | Firefighters, on October 15, 2005; therefore, be it
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28 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
29 | NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
30 | we congratulate the Hickory Point Fire Protection District and |
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1 | the Hickory Point Volunteer Firefighters on the District's 50th | ||||||
2 | anniversary, and we thank the District and the firefighters for | ||||||
3 | their tireless devotion to the emergency, fire, medical, and | ||||||
4 | safety needs of the Forsyth and Hickory Point communities | ||||||
5 | during the last five decades; and be it further
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6 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
7 | presented to the Hickory Point Fire Protection District as an | ||||||
8 | expression of our esteem.
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