Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

ENROLLED ORIGINAL

                               A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION

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                   IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

                                           July 9, 2024

To honor the District’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department for its dedication to

      and protection of the citizens and visitors of Washington, D.C., and for their valiant and

      courageous service to the metropolitan area after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

      WHEREAS, on the occasion of the 23rd Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist

attacks on United States, the Council of the District of Columbia honors the memory of the

nearly 3,000 people who perished from the attack, including twelve victims from the District;

     WHEREAS, an exceptionally courageous force of first responders—including more than

100,000 firefighters, paramedics, rescue and recovery workers, and police officers across the

country—risked their lives that day to save the lives of others;

     WHEREAS, the brave District Fire and EMS Department which, along with the Arlington

County Fire Department and other local fire agencies, helped with the Pentagon rescue and

recovery efforts on September 11, 2001;

      WHEREAS, nationally, thousands of first responders have suffered adverse physical and

emotional effects in the twenty-three years since 2001 and, even now, are at significantly greater

risk for developing occupational cancers due to their exposure to chemicals and debris from the

attacks;

      WHEREAS, the men and women who serve as first responders in the District of Columbia

carry out the extraordinary responsibility of protecting not only District residents, but also all

who visit and work here, and have always done so with tremendous dedication and care;

      WHEREAS, the men and women of the District’s emergency services have fulfilled every

duty to the District and their country in an honorable, courageous, and timely fashion, and have

demonstrated immense compassion for those who have suffered unforeseeable tragedies, while

routinely considering the safety and well-being of others before their own; and

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      WHEREAS, it is fully right and just to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in

the terrorist attacks more than two decades ago, and it is equally compelling to observe and pay

our respects to the first responders of the District and their bravery and selflessness in the face of

extraordinarily trying circumstances.

      RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

resolution be cited as the “September 11th Emergency and First Responders Remembrance and

Recognition Resolution of 2024.”

      Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia honors its first responders for their

tremendous commitment to serving the District and remembers emergency workers who

dutifully served their country in the face of danger on September 11, 2001.

     Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

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