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A resolution recognizing the 70th anniversary of Box 55 Association.
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WHEREAS, this year Box 55 Association is celebrating 70 years of serving local first responders during emergencies; and
WHEREAS, in 1952, Mayor Ben West and Nashville Fire Department Chief John D. Ragsdale organized the Nashville Fire Buffs (now known as the Box 55 Association) by equipping a city bus to be the first emergency vehicle in Nashville to respond to fires for rehabilitation purposes; and
WHEREAS, Box 55 runs entirely on volunteers who respond to emergencies 24/7, 365 days a year; and
WHEREAS, over the last 70 years, Box 55 Association's mission has remained the same: "To offer rehabilitation services to the men and women of the Nashville Fire Department, on scene and during all types of emergencies in Nashville"; and
WHEREAS, Box 55 serves first responders in Nashville such as the Metro Nashville Police Department, Fire Department, and the Office of Emergency Management, as well as agencies outside of Davidson County who call for mutual aid; and
WHEREAS, Box 55 is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization supported through fundraising and donations which are used to purchase food, drinks, cooling equipment, and other necessary provisions for transport vehicles to offer rehabilitation services to first responders at the scene; and
WHEREAS, Box 55 responds to roughly 350 response calls every year; and
WHEREAS, during the Christmas Day bombing in 2020, Box 55 was on the scene for 16 days straight, providing meals and supplies for local first responders and representatives from Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI. Over those 16 days, Box 55 served 6,150 meals to first responders; and
WHEREAS, Box 55 is dedicated to all emergency workers and first responders, providing them with hydration, rest, and rehabilitation at the scene which is a critical component of the health and welfare of first responders; and
WHEREAS, it is ...
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