HR0010 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0010 LRB094 05121 HSS 35161 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Thomas P. Moran began his career with the Oak Lawn Fire Department on February 1, 1966, when he was appointed as a firefighter; in 1969, he was promoted to the rank of Engineer and in 1974, to the rank of Lieutenant; he went on to begin service as Lieutenant/Inspector in 1980; on October 1, 1986, he was appointed Director of Fire Prevention, and on November 1, 1986, he was promoted to the rank of Captain; he served as Division Chief of Support Services from October of 1988 until April of 1992, when he was appointed Division Chief of Administrative Services; on October 1, 1993, he was appointed Fire Chief of Oak Lawn, the position he will retire from on February 1, 2005; and

WHEREAS, Chief Moran has numerous State certifications, including Fire Officer III, Certified Instructor IV, and Hazardous Material Incident Commander; he has served as an instructor in several locations, including at the Oak Lawn Fire Academy from April of 1986 until the present, at Moraine Valley Community College from August 1986 through December 1988, and at the Fire Service Institute from November of 1990 through February of 1996; and

WHEREAS, Chief Moran is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the following: the Illinois Fire Chiefs; the Illinois Fire Inspectors; the National Fire Protection Association; the Building Officials and Code Administrators; 1st District Fire Chiefs/Divisions 21, where he served as District Marshal from 2002 through 2005; the Emergency Telephone Safety Board of the Village of Oak Lawn Fire Department; the Illinois Professional Firefighters; and the Oak Lawn Fire Department Club; and

WHEREAS, Two of Chief Moran's most memorable experiences as a firefighter occurred in 1967; first was the snowstorm of 1967, when toboggans and sleds were used to supplement emergency responses due to 28 inches of snow and drifting; then on April 21, 1967, he was on duty when a tornado struck in Oak Lawn; he was a member of the initial team of fire personnel who responded to the devastation and destruction throughout the town; the team eventually searched hundreds of occupancies for trapped or injured residents and transported several victims to area hospitals for treatment; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, he responded into the City of Chicago to assist in fighting the horrendous structure fires following the death of Martin Luther King, Jr.; he also assisted during the same season when Floods Creek overflowed; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Chief Thomas P. Moran on the occasion of his retirement from the Oak Lawn Fire Department after 39 years of service; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Chief Moran as an expression of our respect and esteem and with best wishes for a relaxing retirement.