WHEREAS, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., has provided fire protection services to the Town of Alberta and Brunswick County for the past 70 years; and

WHEREAS, with support from the local business community, a small group of residents chartered the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department on April 21, 1949, installing John Thomas Avery, Jr., as its first chief; and

WHEREAS, in the organization's first decade, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department benefited from the installation of a municipal water supply system, the expansion of its apparatus fleet, and the construction of a new fire station; and

WHEREAS, through the 1960s, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department responded to an increasing number of calls and fires of greater magnitude; to respond to this demand, the department purchased its first new apparatus in 1967, a Ford/John Bean 500 GPM pumper; and

WHEREAS, following the opening of Interstate 85 in 1970 and prolonged dry periods through the 1970s, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department began responding to more vehicular accidents and brush fires; a new town water tank and continued improvements to the department's apparatus fleet helped address these emerging challenges; and

WHEREAS, in the 1980s, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department upgraded its communications system, acquired more technically advanced apparatus, and began providing emergency medical services and handling hazardous material emergencies; and

WHEREAS, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department became more active in competitions in the 1980s, winning six overall championships in firematic competitions from 1987 to 1992 and the Southside Volunteer Firefighters Association's competition in 1987 and 1991; and

WHEREAS, formally incorporating in 1993, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department continued to improve its services through the purchase of its first large-diameter hose in 1996 and vehicle extraction equipment two years later; ground-breaking ceremonies for a new fire station were held in 1998 and the department relocated to the new building in May 2001; and

WHEREAS, after obtaining county approval and a state license for advanced life support transport in 2006, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department enhanced its ability to provide emergency medical services to the community through the addition of ambulances to its apparatus fleet; and

WHEREAS, over the years, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department has held many fundraisers to support its operations, including stew cook-offs and the annual Alberta Carnival in the 1950s, bingo nights in the 1970s, vending booths at music festivals in the 1980s, and an annual fish fry beginning in 1997; and

WHEREAS, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department has long been an active member of many associations, including the Southside Virginia Volunteer Firefighters Association, the Virginia State Firefighters Association, and the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association, supporting firefighting operations throughout the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department currently has 20 operational members, eight support members, and 10 emergency medical services employees, all dedicated to continuing the department's legacy of excellence in serving the Town of Alberta and Brunswick County communities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., hereby be commended on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the organization's founding charter; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Alberta Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., as an expression of the House of Delegates' profound respect and wholehearted admiration for the department's service to the Commonwealth.