_______________________, read first time and referred to Committee on
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION honoring the members of
Indiana's Task Force One, which was sent to New York City on a
search mission following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack.
Whereas, The mission of the fire departments in Marion
County is to provide an appropriate, a safe, and a
professional response to fire, medical, and environmental
emergencies;
Whereas, The members of Indiana's Task Force One
proved themselves worthy of this lofty mission when they
responded swiftly and professionally to the September 11,
2001, disaster in New York City;
Whereas, The team began its 16 hour journey to New York
City from Indianapolis International Airport aboard three
buses shortly after 5 p.m. September 11, 2001;
Whereas, The team took three semitrailer trucks carrying
tools and equipment and two command vehicles to aid in its
mission;
Whereas, Task Force One, organized through the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), consisted of
physicians, paramedics, engineers, damage-structure
specialists, and search dogs and their handlers;
Whereas, Task Force One, one of more than two dozen task forces activated nationwide, consisted of members from nearly every fire department in Marion County, including 20
Indianapolis firefighters;
Whereas, The task force was assigned a three acre area of
responsibility, which they searched using acoustic equipment
and snake eye cameras;
Whereas, Indianapolis Fire Department Lieutenant Mark
Rapp, team leader, displayed a hero's modesty echoed by the
entire team when he downplayed the team's devotion to duty
in the face of danger when he stated that: "The real heroes
are the firefighters and police officers who stayed in the
buildings.";
Whereas, FEMA's Paul Bailey, Franklin Township Fire
Chief, reported that the team suffered one injury when Pike
Township firefighter Steve Tardiff suffered second degree
burns while carrying out his mission;
Whereas, Indiana's team worked tirelessly alongside
firefighters from New York City and volunteers from other
states searching for survivors; and
Whereas, It is the efforts of these brave men and women
that help Americans realize that our great country cannot be
destroyed by the actions of cowards: Therefore,
SECTION 1. That the Indiana General Assembly wishes to
acknowledge the bravery and heroic actions of Task Force One, which
was sent to New York City on September 11, 2001, to search for
survivors of the attack on the World Trade Center's Twin Towers.
SECTION 2. That the Principal Clerk of the House of
Representatives shall transmit a copy of this resolution to Task Force
One members Tom Adams, Paul Bailey,Tim Baughman, Larry Byerly,
Art Cave, David Campbell, Noel Cecil, David Cook, Jim Curseaden,
J.C. Drexler, Robert Eads, Jr., Robert Eads, Ed Elrod, Stephanie Evers,
Ed Fenske, Mario Garza, Greg Gates, Gerald George, Charles Glessing,
Kenneth Grant, Barry Green, Bill Harrell, Chris Harrell, Gary Hay,
Greg Hess, Ellis Hinkle, Kevin Hobbs, Michael Kepp, William Landes,
Forrest Lawn, Scott Lebharz, Dan Linderman, Ian Marano, Jeff Martin,
Scott McCarty, Brian Mulhern, Thomas Neal, Richard Osland, Jr.,
Dave Owens, Greg Patterson, Richard Pohlman, Gene Ramano, Mark
Rapp, Mike Reeves, Justin Reuter, Keith Schinnerer, Sam Scott, Mary
Jean Seibert, Russell Shoaf, Willy Shoaf, Chris Starchaen, Matthew
Stewart, Paul Sullivan, Steve Tardiff, Terry Toffolo, Anne Trout, Rick
Van Sant, Marti Vanada, Blake Wallis, David Warren, Richard
Washington, Kenny Whitcomb, Garry Yeakle, and Tony Zintsmaster.