LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending FDNY Captain Liam Flaherty upon the
occasion of his designation for special recognition by the Friends of
Firefighters on June 5, 2010

WHEREAS, Citizens across our State and Nation are inspired by and
indebted to our valiant firefighters who exhibit courage and bravery
every day in the course of their duties; and
WHEREAS, Firefighters exemplify the power of human compassion and the
strength of the American spirit through actions of the most heroic
magnitude; their sacrifices and their selfless dedication merit tribute
and recognition by all citizens of this great country; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend FDNY Captain
Liam Flaherty upon the occasion of his designation for special recogni-
tion by the Friends of Firefighters at its Spring Gala to be held on
Saturday, June 5, 2010, at the Old Stonehouse, Brooklyn, New York; and
WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, Captain Liam Flaherty has
continually demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence,
and diligent leadership in his unwavering service to his community and
profession and subsequently has been selected for this most prestigious
honor; and
WHEREAS, Captain Liam Flaherty is a distinguished firefighter who has
worked with Engine 238, Ladder 44 and Rescue 4 and as a lieutenant at
Engine 157 and Rescue 2 and is currently the covering Captain at Special
Operations Command; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Captain Liam Flaherty is a member of the FEMA
Urban Search and Rescue New York Task Force which recently responded to
the disaster in Haiti; he also responded to Hurricane Katrina with the
FDNY Response Team; and
WHEREAS, Captain Liam Flaherty is also the Chairman and Drum Major of
the FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, currently the largest fire
service pipe band; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Captain Liam Flaherty is an instructor at both
the Special Operations Technical Rescue School and the Probationary
Firefighter School; he is also a member of Incident Management Team; and
WHEREAS, Despite his busy professional life, Captain Liam Flaherty has
been called upon to contribute his time and talents to countless civic
and charitable endeavors and has always given of himself unstintingly;
and
WHEREAS, Captain Liam Flaherty currently sits on the board of the
Thomas R. Elsasser Fund and is a member of the Carpenters Local 608
Union; and
WHEREAS, The firefighters of New York State are renowned throughout
the Nation; their reputation is synonymous with excellence in the ardu-
ous field of fire protection and prevention; and
WHEREAS, Firefighters and fire departments not only provide the crit-
ical service of fire protection but also engage in other activities 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; Captain
Liam Flaherty is such a firefighter; throughout his many years of
devoted service, this firefighter has 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
commend Captain Liam Flaherty upon the occasion of his designation for

special recognition by the Friends of Firefighters on June 5, 2010; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Captain Liam Flaherty.