2014 -- S 2843

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LC005333

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

EXPRESSING ITS DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES OF BOSTON

FIREFIGHTERS LIEUTENANT EDWARD J. WALSH, JR., AND FIREFIGHTER MICHAEL

R. KENNEDY

     Introduced By: Senators Algiere, E O`Neill, Paiva Weed, Felag, and Walaska

     Date Introduced: April 01, 2014

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

     WHEREAS, There is a special place in all of our hearts for the heroic people who, as part

of their duties, rush into dangerous and precarious situations and risk their lives in order to serve

society and protect innocent life. Boston firefighters Lieutenant Edward J. Walsh, Jr., and

Firefighter Michael R. Kennedy were two such brave souls; and

     WHEREAS, Lieutenant Walsh and Firefighter Kennedy perished on Wednesday, March

26, 2014, while fighting one of the worst Boston fires of the last thirty years. This nine–alarm fire

consumed a Boston brownstone in the Back Bay neighborhood and injured thirteen of their fellow

firefighters. The fire, aided by high winds, spread quickly and tragically trapped Walsh and

Kennedy in the basement. There is nothing more heroic than losing one’s life while serving

others. Lieutenant Walsh and Firefighter Kennedy each answered the highest calling humanity

can ask of any one individual; and

     WHEREAS, Lieutenant Walsh and Firefighter Kennedy instinctively did what they were

trained to do, what their duty in life was to do, when they rushed into a burning inferno to save

lives. With strong wind gusts pushing flames in different directions and fiery explosions

threatening to occur at any moment, Lieutenant Walsh and Firefighter Kennedy put personal

safety aside and fought valiantly to get control of this deadly fire. Thanks to their efforts, no other

homes in the surrounding area were damaged and no person living in that community was harmed

by this fire; and

     WHEREAS, All too often in life, we take as our role models and heroes the stars of the

pop culture and sporting worlds. However, our real heroes are the dedicated public servants who

rush into danger at a moment’s notice to serve the public. Heroes like Lieutenant Walsh and

Firefighter Kennedy ensure that the rest of us can go about our daily lives secure in the

knowledge that there are brave firefighters ready to sacrifice everything to protect our lives and

property; and

     WHEREAS, Lieutenant Edward J. Walsh, a nine year veteran of the Boston Fire

Department, leaves behind his wife Kristen and his three children, Dillon Edward, Morgan

Kathleen, and Griffin William. He was a gentleman and a respected leader who grew up in

Watertown, Massachusetts, and spent much of his younger years hanging around the fire station

with his father, who reached the rank of Lieutenant in the fire department, and other members of

his family who were firefighters including numerous uncles, a brother-in-law and a cousin. He

will be sorely missed by his family, loved ones and his fellow firefighters with the Boston Fire

Department; and

     WHEREAS, Firefighter Michael R. Kennedy, a firefighter with more than six years of

experience and a Marine combat veteran who served our nation with valor and honor in Iraq, was

one of the first responders to the tragic Boston Marathon bombings in April of 2013. He will be

remembered as a highly energetic young man who devoted countless hours of his time in service

to his community and various charitable endeavors. He will also be sorely missed by his family,

loved ones, and his fellow firefighters with the Boston Fire Department; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby expresses its deepest condolences to the Walsh and Kennedy families on the passing of

Boston Fire Department Lieutenant Edward J. Walsh and Boston Firefighter Michael R.

Kennedy. All of our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of these two

heroes. We can never repay the debt we owe them for their service and sacrifice on our behalf;

and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mrs. Kristen Walsh and Family, Paul Kennedy,

and Kathy Crosby-Bell and her husband William Bell.

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LC005333

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