The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONGRATULATING SEYMOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT ON FIFTY YEARS OF
SERVICE
______
HON. DIANA HARSHBARGER
of tennessee
in the house of representatives
Monday, July 19, 2021
Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department in Sevier County in the First Congressional District in Tennessee which recently celebrated fifty years of protecting and serving their community. Fire protection in our great Nation began as an all-volunteer service and in Seymour that rich tradition of volunteer service continues today.
In 1971, Seymour was a small community comprised of family farms and some small businesses. The owners of those businesses made the wise decision to establish fire protection for their homes and businesses as there was no such service in the thirty mile stretch between Knoxville and Sevierville. And thus, with the purchase of a new Boardman Class A fire engine, the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department was born. In that first year, twelve firefighters responded to 24 calls for service and their engine was stored outside in a vacant lot at the corner of Chapman Highway and Old Sevierville Pike.
Over the last fifty years, as the community of Seymour has grown and gone from zero stoplights to eight and those family farms have developed into subdivisions, the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department has also grown to serve over 40,000 people, 400 businesses, 70 churches, 2 private schools, 8 public schools and Johnson University. The Fire District is spread across three Tennessee counties: Blount, Knox, and Sevier, covering a response area of almost 120 square miles. The Department now has six stations, 26 pieces of equipment and over 60 volunteers that continue to answer the call of duty. With all these changes, the original fire truck remains and serves as a reminder of the many volunteers who have responded to the call of duty over these last five decades.
Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department on fifty years of service. I am proud to represent these volunteers and the communities they serve.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 126
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