Florida Senate - 2024 (NP) SR 1806 By Senator Hooper 21-01950-24 20241806__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution celebrating the 80th anniversary of the 3 Florida Professional Firefighters Association. 4 5 WHEREAS, the Florida Professional Firefighters Association 6 was chartered by the International Association of Fire Fighters 7 (IAFF) on January 11, 1944, and 8 WHEREAS, initially formed by six local branches of the 9 IAFF, which included the members of Miami, IAFF Local 587; 10 Pensacola, IAFF Local 707; West Palm Beach, IAFF Local 727; 11 Saint Petersburg, IAFF Local 747; Tampa, IAFF Local 754; and 12 Fort Lauderdale, IAFF Local 765, the Florida Professional 13 Firefighters Association has grown to over 28,000 members who 14 work in nearly 200 fire rescue and emergency medical services 15 departments and represent the vast majority of structural 16 firefighters, wildland firefighters, paramedics, and emergency 17 medical technicians serving the residents of this state, and 18 WHEREAS, for eight decades, the Florida Professional 19 Firefighters Association has advocated not only on behalf of its 20 own members, but also on behalf of all Floridians in the 21 interest of their safety and well-being, and 22 WHEREAS, the Florida Professional Firefighters Association 23 and its members have made a substantial contribution to this 24 state’s growth and prosperity over the last 80 years by 25 embracing their unique role as a union of public servants 26 partnering with the state and its cities, counties, towns, 27 villages, and districts in order to provide robust emergency 28 response and disaster relief to those they serve, NOW, 29 THEREFORE, 30 31 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 32 33 That the Florida Senate congratulates the Florida 34 Professional Firefighters Association on its 80th anniversary, 35 January 11, 2024, and encourages all residents of this state to 36 demonstrate thanks and appreciation for the professional 37 firefighters and paramedics who dedicate their lives to 38 protecting all Floridians.