HR0326 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0326 LRB098 12014 GRL 45572 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Gregory Berk on the occasion of his retirement as Chief of the Wheaton Fire Department on May 31, 2013; and

WHEREAS, Gregory Berk has served in the fire service for 46 years; he began his career with the Flossmoor Fire Department, where he served as Chief; in 2003, he became the Wheaton Fire Chief, where he has served for the past 10 years; and

WHEREAS, While he has been very active in all facets of the fire service, Gregory Berk has been especially devoted to the areas of emergency medical services, emergency management, and training; as a testament to his devotion, he has been a licensed paramedic since 1974 and he has been an adjunct faculty member at Southern Illinois University; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Gregory Berk has been very active throughout the region and State with numerous committees and organizations; he was a past president of the Illinois Firefighters Association; he is a member of various State advisory boards with the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Illinois Department of Public Health; he is a member of various regional boards/associations, including the DuPage Fire Chiefs Association, the Ducomm Executive Board, the DuPage Emergency Telephone Safety Board, the Starcom Radio Steering Committee, and the DuPage Mayors and Managers; he also served as the MABAS Division 12 Incident Management Team Chief liaison and was one of the founding Chiefs for the West Suburban Fire Rescue Alliance and Tri-City planning group; and

WHEREAS, Gregory Berk serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Gregory Berk on the occasion of his retirement and wish him continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Gregory Berk as a symbol of our esteem and respect.