Full Text of HJR0006 099th General Assembly
HJ0006 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, It is important to recognize those who contributed | 3 | | to the betterment of the State of Illinois through public | 4 | | service; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, James Allen was born on December 28, 1960; his | 6 | | parents were Ken and Judy Allen; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, James Allen's parents were both public servants; | 8 | | his father served as an Illinois State Trooper for 6 years and | 9 | | as a Volunteer Firefighter in Morris for 27 years; his mother | 10 | | served as a Health Technician for Grundy and Will Counties for | 11 | | 24 years; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, James Allen was raised and educated in Morris | 13 | | School District 54 and spent many days at the firehouse with | 14 | | his father; as a young adult, he took a position with the City | 15 | | of Morris Public Works Department; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, James Allen became a Morris Volunteer Firefighter | 17 | | at the age of 21, which at that time was the youngest age | 18 | | allowed to join the fire department; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, To be a member of the Fire Department in Morris is | 20 | | a greatly desired and very noble status to achieve; the Morris |
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| 1 | | Fire Department is highly respected in the fire service and | 2 | | James Allen knew that being a member required honor and | 3 | | sacrifice; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, James Allen married Donna Brown; together, they | 5 | | had a son, Kenneth James Allen; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, On March 18, 1985, James Allen responded with his | 7 | | fellow firefighters to a reported house fire on West Southmor | 8 | | Road in Morris; he and 2 other firefighters advanced a hose | 9 | | line down into the basement to the seat of the fire; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, The second fire company was in the process of | 11 | | cutting a ventilation hole on the first floor when a back draft | 12 | | occurred in the basement; 2 of the firefighters were able to | 13 | | make it to the exit; however, James Allen did not emerge with | 14 | | the other firefighters; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, Several attempts were made to re-enter the | 16 | | basement with additional hose lines in an attempt to rescue | 17 | | James Allen, which were unfortunately unsuccessful; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, James Allen's son, Kenneth James Allen, was 3 | 19 | | years old when his father gave his life in the line of duty; | 20 | | and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, A life-like statue of James Allen stands in a | 2 | | local park dedicated to his memory; the name of the donor has | 3 | | never been made public; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, The base of the statue is inscribed "James Allen | 5 | | Embodied the Essence of America's Volunteer Spirit ... The | 6 | | Volunteer Fireman ... A Morris Volunteer Fireman ... Totally | 7 | | Committed ... A Man of Self-Sacrifice and Courage ... A Bearer | 8 | | of Noble Spirit ... A Premier Public Servant ... Killed in The | 9 | | Line of Duty Fighting a Fire March 18, 1985 at age 24"; | 10 | | therefore, be it
| 11 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 12 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 13 | | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the section of | 14 | | Illinois Route 47 over the CSX Railway in Morris between High | 15 | | Street and Benton Street as the Firefighter James Allen | 16 | | Memorial Highway; and be it further
| 17 | | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | 18 | | is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with | 19 | | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | 20 | | giving notice of the name of the Firefighter James Allen | 21 | | Memorial Highway; and be it further | 22 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
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| 1 | | presented to the family of Firefighter James Allen, the Morris | 2 | | Fire Protection and Ambulance District, the Mayor of the City | 3 | | of Morris, and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of | 4 | | Transportation.
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