HJ230: Commending the Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 230

Offered February 13, 2020
Commending the Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Patrons-- Hodges; Senator: McDougle

WHEREAS, for the past 100 years, the Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., has safeguarded the lives and property of the residents of Tappahannock and Essex County; and

WHEREAS, founded in 1920, the Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department (TEVFD) was at first without a fire truck, requiring its firefighters to pull the hose reel to the scene by hand; a new Ford/Oren pumper truck was acquired in 1935, greatly improving the department’s ability to respond to emergencies; and

WHEREAS, initially housed in the Town of Tappahannock’s office building and exclusively servicing the town and its residents, the TEVFD expanded its service to include the surrounding parts of Essex County in 1939; and

WHEREAS, in the 1950s, recognizing the need for improved medical emergency services in the community, the TEVFD incorporated a volunteer rescue squad, which would remain with the department until it became the independently operated Tappahannock Volunteer Rescue Squad in 1976; and

WHEREAS, in 1952, wives of members of the TEVFD started a Ladies Auxiliary to assist the department during major disasters and to support its fundraising and long-term projects; and

WHEREAS, relocating to a standalone fire station in the 1950s, the TEVFD quickly outgrew this location and built a new station in 1977, at which point the department’s name officially changed from the Tappahannock Volunteer Fire Department to what it is today; and

WHEREAS, in 1994, a local businessman donated an old Center Cross service station in southern Essex County to the TEVFD, which was renovated and opened as Station 2 two years later; with support from citizens of northern Essex County in the mid-2000s, the TEVFD’s Station 3 was established in Champlain in 2005; and

WHEREAS, today, the TEVFD’s three stations are staffed by 70 members, covering a service area of 261 miles that includes a population of nearly 10,000 people and approximately 4,500 homes and businesses; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of its heroic response to a tornado that struck Essex County in 2016, the TEVFD received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Virginia Fire Services; and

WHEREAS, responding to thousands of calls since its founding, the TEVFD has admirably served and safeguarded the community by responding to fires, medical emergencies, and other crisis situations; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Tappahannock-Essex Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., as an expression of the General Assembly’s profound respect and admiration for its contributions to the Commonwealth.