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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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.