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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives wish to congratulate the Bloomington Fire 
4Department on the 150th anniversary of their official founding; 
5and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, In 1850, the City of Bloomington recognized the 
7need for a "fire warden", someone who would inspect each 
8building that used a fire inside; in December of 1855, the 
9city's first engine, a hand pump, arrived; the city's first 
10steam engine was purchased in 1867, and, at that point, it 
11became necessary to have someone on duty at all times to keep 
12it ready in case of a fire; and
  
 
13    WHEREAS, On June 19, 1868, the city passed an ordinance 
14officially forming the Bloomington Fire Department; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Three years later in 1871, the Bloomington Fire 
16Department was  one of the departments that responded to the 
17call to help fight the Great Chicago Fire; and
 
18    WHEREAS, M.X. (Marion) Chase is one of the most significant 
19individuals in the history of the Bloomington Fire Department; 
20he served the city of Bloomington for 32 years - 21 of those as 
21chief; he nurtured the department from its early days, taking 
 
 
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1it from buckets and ladders, to organizing its volunteers and 
2on to a fully-manned, fully-paid department in 1888; and
  
 
3    WHEREAS, On December 11, 1911, the department purchased its 
4first motorized apparatus; the department was fully motorized 
5by 1916; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Today, members of the Bloomington Fire Department 
7use the latest methods and modern equipment and training to 
8fight fires; the department presently has five stations and 119 
9full-time paid firefighter positions; therefore, be it
  
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
11HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
12congratulate the Bloomington Fire Department on the 150th 
13anniversary of their official founding, and we wish them many 
14more successful years; and be it further
  
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
16presented to the Bloomington Fire Department as a symbol of our 
17respect and esteem.