2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26106517D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 328

Offered March 9, 2026

Commending the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.

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Patron—Oates

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WHEREAS, for 50 years, the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., has greatly served the Clarke County community by safeguarding lives, property, and the environment in the county and surrounding areas; and

WHEREAS, following a deadly fire in 1975, a group of local citizens set out to establish a fire department to protect the community; with support from the Lord Fairfax Planning District and professional and volunteer fire companies in the region, the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company was officially chartered in 1976; and

WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company initially operated out of a former Virginia Department of Transportation building until years of fundraising enabled the construction of a new fire station, which was dedicated on June 12, 1982; and

WHEREAS, in the beginning, the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company's success was made possible through the generosity and support of neighboring fire departments, which lent, donated, or sold apparatus to equip the company, including its first front-line apparatus, which was sold to the company by the Alexandria Fire and Rescue Department for the symbolic cost of one dollar; and

WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company has continually evolved over the years to bolster its operational readiness and emergency preparedness; today, the company is equipped with state-of-the-art apparatus and equipment and staffed by men and women who receive extensive training in firefighting, technical rescue, and emergency medical care; and

WHEREAS, the achievements of the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company are a testament to the selfless commitment and dedication of its leaders and members, who are guided in all of their endeavors by the company's motto, “Neighbors Helping Neighbors”; and

WHEREAS, the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company has ensured the safety and well-being of Clarke County and its residents for the past 50 years, helping to make the locality a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., hereby be commended on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the company's contributions to Clarke County and the Commonwealth.