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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It is important to recognize those who contributed
3to the betterment of the State of Illinois through public
4service; and
 
5    WHEREAS, James Allen was born on December 28, 1960; his
6parents were Ken and Judy Allen; and
 
7    WHEREAS, James Allen's parents were both public servants;
8his father served as an Illinois State Trooper for 6 years and
9as a Volunteer Firefighter in Morris for 27 years; his mother
10served as a Health Technician for Grundy and Will Counties for
1124 years; and
 
12    WHEREAS, James Allen was raised and educated in Morris
13School District 54 and spent many days at the firehouse with
14his father; as a young adult, he took a position with the City
15of Morris Public Works Department; and
 
16    WHEREAS, James Allen became a Morris Volunteer Firefighter
17at the age of 21, which at that time was the youngest age
18allowed to join the fire department; and
 
19    WHEREAS, To be a member of the Fire Department in Morris is
20a greatly desired and very noble status to achieve; the Morris

 

 

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1Fire Department is highly respected in the fire service and
2James Allen knew that being a member required honor and
3sacrifice; and
 
4    WHEREAS, James Allen married Donna Brown; together, they
5had a son, Kenneth James Allen; and
 
6    WHEREAS, On March 18, 1985, James Allen responded with his
7fellow firefighters to a reported house fire on West Southmor
8Road in Morris; he and 2 other firefighters advanced a hose
9line down into the basement to the seat of the fire; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The second fire company was in the process of
11cutting a ventilation hole on the first floor when a back draft
12occurred in the basement; 2 of the firefighters were able to
13make it to the exit; however, James Allen did not emerge with
14the other firefighters; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Several attempts were made to re-enter the
16basement with additional hose lines in an attempt to rescue
17James Allen, which were unfortunately unsuccessful; and
 
18    WHEREAS, James Allen's son, Kenneth James Allen, was 3
19years old when his father gave his life in the line of duty;
20and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, A life-like statue of James Allen stands in a
2local park dedicated to his memory; the name of the donor has
3never been made public; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The base of the statue is inscribed "James Allen
5Embodied the Essence of America's Volunteer Spirit ... The
6Volunteer Fireman ... A Morris Volunteer Fireman ... Totally
7Committed ... A Man of Self-Sacrifice and Courage ... A Bearer
8of Noble Spirit ... A Premier Public Servant ... Killed in The
9Line of Duty Fighting a Fire March 18, 1985 at age 24";
10therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
13SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the section of
14Illinois Route 47 over the CSX Railway in Morris between High
15Street and Benton Street as the Firefighter James Allen
16Memorial Highway; and be it further
 
17    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation
18is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with
19State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs
20giving notice of the name of the Firefighter James Allen
21Memorial Highway; and be it further
 
22    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be

 

 

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1presented to the family of Firefighter James Allen, the Morris
2Fire Protection and Ambulance District, the Mayor of the City
3of Morris, and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of
4Transportation.