House Resolution 131

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE RESERVOIR FIRE DEPARTMENT'S COMBAT CHALLENGE TEAM AND COACH SCOTT BERRY FOR THEIR REMARKABLE DEDICATION AND SERVICE AND CONGRATULATING THEM FOR THEIR NUMEROUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

WHEREAS, the Reservoir Fire Department's Combat Challenge Team has displayed tremendous dedication and service, leading to numerous accomplishments in athletic competition designed specifically for firefighters; and

WHEREAS, these competitive events were created in part to raise awareness of the fact that the primary causes of death among firefighters are heart attacks and strokes and that the physical fitness of individual firefighters combats those diseases; and

WHEREAS, Team Reservoir is ninth in the nation in men's team, 23^rd in the world in men's relay, eighth in the world in chiefs' individual, and the team has finished in the top 10 in competitions in Brandon, Mississippi, Altus, Oklahoma, Tyler, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, this combat challenge team holds the state record in men's relay, men's individual, chiefs' individual, men's team and men's tandem, and was named "Fastest Team in Mississippi 2008"; and

WHEREAS, the team trains relentlessly, practicing six days a week for two to three hours of running stairs, pulling fire hoses, dragging 175-pound dummies and lifting weights; and

WHEREAS, the challenge in which these men compete is an intense firefighting competition, dubbed by ESPN as "The Toughest Two Minutes in Sports," involving the firefighters climbing a five-story tower with a 42-pound hose pack, driving back a

165-pound steel beam with a mallet, negotiating a slalom course of hydrants, dragging a charged hose 75 feet, and finally dragging a 175-pound dummy 100 feet through the finish line; and

WHEREAS, to defray the considerable expenses associated with their participation in these competitions, members of the team conduct fund-raising efforts such as pancake breakfasts, hamburger cook-outs and boot drives; and

WHEREAS, the team is comprised of Coach Scott Berry, Ty Jones, Michael Price, Josh Swales, William Vancor, Jason Watkins and Clarence Parks, who was named Firefighter Challenge Rookie of the Year; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend and congratulate those individuals who dutifully serve the people of the State of Mississippi and who display excellence and dedication in leadership, physical fitness and teamwork:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the Reservoir Fire Department's Combat Challenge Team and Coach Scott Berry for their remarkable dedication and service, congratulate them for their numerous accomplishments and extend best wishes for their continued success.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Reservoir Fire Department, Coach Scott Berry and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.