2025 SESSION

INTRODUCED

25105022D

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 216

Offered January 22, 2025

Celebrating the life of Mark Robert Outlaw.

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Patron—Jordan

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WHEREAS, Mark Robert Outlaw, a dedicated firefighter who served and safeguarded the residents of Suffolk with distinction as fire chief for 18 years, died on January 8, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Mark Outlaw grew up in Chesapeake, where he attended Western Branch High School; he began his career as a firefighter with the Driver Volunteer Fire Station, then earned an associate degree in fire service from Tidewater Community College before joining the Suffolk Department of Fire and Rescue; and

WHEREAS, at the time, the City of Suffolk had recently incorporated the former Nansemond County and grown from roughly two square miles to 400 square miles; Mark Outlaw rose through the ranks while helping the department grow and adapt to a greatly expanded service area; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of his natural leadership abilities and exceptional contributions to fire service, Mark Outlaw was selected as the Suffolk fire chief in 1994, becoming, at the age of 36, the youngest fire chief in the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Mark Outlaw oversaw the construction and renovation of numerous fire stations throughout the city limits and quadrupled the number of firefighters under his command from around 60 to just over 280; his innovative leadership led to the development of procedures that reduced response times and increased the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the department; and

WHEREAS, in his personal life, Mark Outlaw was an enthusiastic early adaptor of new technology, and he demonstrated this in the workplace by ensuring that his firefighters had cutting-edge equipment to better serve the community; and

WHEREAS, a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, Mark Outlaw and his wife, Tracy, moved to Wisconsin after his well-earned retirement as fire chief; he kept in touch with many of his former colleagues and further pursued his passion for fire service by working at the Pierce Manufacturing plant in Appleton, which produces a range of custom fire apparatus and emergency equipment; and

WHEREAS, Mark Outlaw will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his beloved wife of 26 years, Tracy; his sons, Adam and Victor, and their families; his stepchildren, Allison, Andrew, and Daniel, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of Mark Robert Outlaw, a highly respected former fire chief of Suffolk; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Mark Robert Outlaw as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect for his memory.