[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 126 (Monday, July 19, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  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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