Bill Text: VA SJR94 | 2018 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Doug and Sally Coiner.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-02-16 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ94ER) [SJR94 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-SJR94-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Doug and Sally Coiner of Loudoun County courageously volunteered their skills and leadership to assist with hurricane relief efforts in Texas and Florida in 2017; and
WHEREAS, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which caused untold amounts of damage in Houston, Texas, Doug and Sally Coiner left their home in Paeonian Springs and used their own money and supplies to provide relief in any way they could; and
WHEREAS, Doug and Sally Coiner joined many other volunteers in what became known as the Cajun Navy, a group of private boat owners that willingly went into harm's way to provide aid to their fellow Americans; and
WHEREAS, arriving in Texas, Doug and Sally Coiner discovered that many hospitals were unreachable due to flooding or were too overcrowded to accept non-critical patients; the couple worked with police to conduct boat rescues until they found a local church that was being used as a shelter; and
WHEREAS, Doug and Sally Coiner provided medical aid at the church for more than 48 hours straight, using their skills to treat minor injuries and effectively triage victims in need of additional care; other nearby shelters began sending patients to the church, and at one time, more than 75 people were seeking treatment from the couple; and
WHEREAS, the couple briefly returned home to the Commonwealth, but Sally Coiner, a trained emergency medical technician, left immediately for Florida to respond to Hurricane Irma; bringing supplies and donations from Loudoun County residents, she helped numerous people in Bonita Springs, one of the areas hit hardest by the storm; and
WHEREAS, Sally Coiner then traveled to Puerto Rico with the Warfighter Disaster Response Team, a self-sufficient group of combat veterans and first responders that helps communities recover after a natural disaster; and
WHEREAS, answering the call to service without hesitation, Doug and Sally Coiner saved lives and brought comfort to their fellow Americans in a time of crisis; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Doug and Sally Coiner for their heroic work to assist hurricane victims in Texas and Florida; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Doug and Sally Coiner as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for their selfless, lifesaving actions.
