LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Firefighter Richard Baughan upon the
occasion of his elevation to Honorary Chief after many years of dedi-
cated service to the Mineola Fire Department

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 commend Richard Baughan
upon the occasion of his elevation to Honorary Chief after many years of
dedicated service to the Mineola Fire Department; and
WHEREAS, In 1972, Richard Baughan joined the Mineola Fire Department,
and quickly became a valuable asset to the company; and
WHEREAS, For the past 42 years, this esteemed man has responded to
alarms as a Structural Firefighter for Engine Three; and
WHEREAS, A Senior Control Technician by trade, Firefighter Richard
Baughan worked for Grumman Aerospace for 38 years; his numerous accom-
plishments include helping to craft the NASA Lunar Module which is now
displayed at The Smithsonian Institute; and
WHEREAS, During his illustrious tenure with the Mineola Fire Depart-
ment, Firefighter Richard Baughan's technical expertise often found its
way into various projects around the firehouse; he would frequently find
ways to devise solutions which not only solved a particular problem, but
also reflected his professional touch; and
WHEREAS, When the Mineola Fire Department sought to display American
Flags on all of its apparatuses including the antiques, Firefighter
Richard Baughan surveyed each piece and devised a carrier which would
allow the department to uniformly display the flag; and
WHEREAS, Following his retirement from Grumman, Firefighter Richard
Baughan further devoted himself to serving the Mineola Fire Department,
working on a project to painstakingly restore its antique fire engine;
and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Richard Baughan also dedicates countless hours to
the Fire Prevention Program where he can often be found leading tours
through the Mineola firehouse or making a fire prevention presentation
to one of the area schools; and
WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, Loretta, and their
six children, Laura, Nancy, Cathy, Marsha, Barbara, and Richard, as well
as their two grandchildren, Amanda and Christina, all of whom feel priv-
ileged to be a part of his life and rejoice in his achievements; 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; Richard
Baughan is such a firefighter; throughout his many years of devoted
service, this volunteer 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 Firefighter Richard Baughan upon the occasion of his elevation
to Honorary Chief after many years of dedicated service to the Mineola
Fire Department; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Firefighter Richard Baughan.