A concurrent RESOLUTION

 

To congratulate and honor Fire chief Aubrey D. Jenkins for his forty-five years of dedicated service to the Columbia-Richland Fire Department and to thank him for his contributions to the State of South Carolina.

 

Whereas, it is with great pleasure that the South Carolina General Assembly recognizes those individuals who give tirelessly of themselves to the welfare of this great state's citizenry. Having spent more than four decades protecting the lives of others, Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins exemplifies such South Carolinians; and

 

Whereas, a graduate of Eau Claire High School and the South Carolina Executive Institute, Aubrey D. Jenkins received his undergraduate degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University. He serves as the co-chairman of the City of Columbia Grievance Committee and is certified as an emergency medical responder (EMR) instructor, a South Carolina Fire Academy instructor, and an American Red Cross first aid instructor; and

 

Whereas, Chief Jenkins' began his journey with the CRFD as a firefighter and worked his way through the ranks. He served as a relief fire equipment operator, a fire equipment operator, captain, battalion chief, and deputy chief before he was appointed fire chief in 2011, becoming the first African American to hold this position. As fire chief, he leads nearly six hundred employees of the CRFD serving out of thirty-two fire stations, which includes fourteen fire stations predominantly staffed by volunteer firefighters; and

 

Whereas, Chief Jenkins' contributions and efforts have been honored with a variety of awards, including induction into the Columbia Housing Authority's Wall of Fame; and receiving the American Red Cross Volunteer of the Year Award, Citizen of the Year and Recognition Awards for his participation in after-school programs that teach first aid and mentor youth in the Columbia area. Additionally, he was presented with a Life Saver Award from the City of Columbia for rescuing a baby from a burning building. Among his most significant accomplishments was achieving the Class 1 ISO rating for CRFD, which is the highest rating for local fire protection efforts based on ISO's fire suppression rating schedule. He is the first and only fire chief in the history of the Columbia-Richland Fire Department to achieve this milestone; and

 

Whereas, outside of work, Chief Jenkins is a member of the Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ where he serves as a deacon and past chairman of the brotherhood department. Together with his beloved wife, Vernell Trapp Jenkins, they reared two fine sons, Emanuel and Sheldon; and

 

Whereas, grateful for more than four decades of service that Chief Jenkins has devoted to the communities across the Midlands and for the countless people his service has impacted, the South Carolina General Assembly extends best wishes for many more years of his fine service to Richland County and beyond. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

 

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, congratulate and honor Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins for his forty-five years of dedicated service to the Columbia-Richland Fire Department and thank him for his contributions to the State of South Carolina.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins of the Columbia-Richland Fire Department.

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