LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Assistant Chief Steve Grundt and Fire-
fighter Jeffrey North upon the occasion of their designation as recipi-
ents of the Firefighters of the Year Award by the Ulster County Volun-
teer Firemen's Association

WHEREAS, The firefighters of New York State are renowned throughout the
Nation; their reputation is synonymous with excellence in the arduous
field of fire protection and prevention; and
WHEREAS, Since the early days of "teapot steamers," the volunteer
firefighter has been the cornerstone of our great Nation's efforts to
spare us from the ravages of fire; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is proud to honor Assistant Chief Steve
Grundt and Firefighter Jeffrey North of the Ellenville Fire District
upon the occasion of their designation as recipients of the Firefighters
of the Year Award by the Ulster County Volunteer Firemen's Association
to be celebrated at its Convention on Friday, July 24, 2015, at the
Kerhonkson fire station in Kerhonkson, New York; and
WHEREAS, On May 17, 2014, at 3:53 a.m., the Ellenville Fire District
was dispatched for a reported structure fire; Car 26, 26-1, and 26-2
responded within minutes, and the Ulster 911 advised that police were on
the scene reporting heavy smoke; and
WHEREAS, At the same time a second alarm was transmitted, and E26-10
was the first engine at the scene; and
WHEREAS, An attack line was formed and manned by Firefighter Francis
Roller, Firefighter Jeffrey North, and Assistant Chief Steve Grundt; the
team entered the building through the front door and searched for the
fire down the hall; after minutes of searching, the smoke intensified,
and visibility was extremely limited; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Francis Roller went ahead and was the first to
enter the kitchen; unfortunately, he fell through the burned floor into
a crawl space where the fire was burning intensely; and
WHEREAS, Hearing his scream for help, Firefighter Jeffrey North and
Assistant Chief Steve Grundt successfully found him and pulled him out
to safety, where he was examined by Ellenville Rescue; thankfully, he
had no injuries; and
WHEREAS, Through their heroic actions, Firefighter Jeffrey North and
Assistant Chief Steve Grundt demonstrated their character and their
compassion for the welfare of others, personifying, by virtue of their
actions, the collective concern of firefighters across the community of
New York State who voluntarily respond without the thought of danger or
reward when others are in need of help; and
WHEREAS, Volunteer firefighters and fire departments not only provide
the critical service of fire protection but also engage in other activ-
ities of great benefit and importance to the communities they serve; and
WHEREAS, It takes a special dedication, a strong desire to help others
and a tireless sense of community to forsake precious time with family
and friends to respond to the signal that a neighbor is in need; Fire-
fighter Jeffrey North and Assistant Chief Steve Grundt are two such
firefighters; throughout their many years of devoted service, these two
volunteers heroically performed, above and beyond the call of duty,
those responsibilities which define the task of fire protection; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Firefighter Jeffrey North and Assistant Chief Steve Grundt upon
the occasion of their designation as recipients of the Firefighters of
the Year Award by the Ulster County Volunteer Firemen's Association; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Firefighter Jeffrey North and Assistant Chief Steve Grundt.