Georgia CommonsHR 1063: Henderson, Chief Gordon; honoring the life and dedicated service; condolences
Last action January 27, 2026 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution honors the life and nearly five-decade fire service career of Chief Gordon Henderson of Rome, Georgia, who died in September 2025, and offers condolences to his family.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This is a commemorative resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a change to state law. It recounts the career of Chief Charles "Gordon" Henderson, who served the Rome-Floyd Fire Department for nearly 40 years, rising from firefighter in 1975 to fire chief before retiring in 2015, and who later led the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council from 2015 to 2022. The resolution formally expresses the House's sympathy to Henderson's family, including his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild, following his death on September 5, 2025. It also honors his statewide leadership roles in firefighting organizations. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy for distribution to the family as a keepsake; it does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute.
What the bill does
- Formally commends and honors the career and service of Chief Gordon Henderson of the Rome-Floyd Fire Department.
- Extends the House of Representatives' sympathies to Henderson's surviving family members.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the family.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change since it is a commemorative resolution rather than a bill amending the Georgia Code.
Who it affects
The resolution directly names Chief Gordon Henderson's family, including his wife, children, and grandchildren, as well as the Rome-Floyd Fire Department, the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council, and Georgia's broader firefighting community that Henderson served.
Why it matters
While it does not change any law, the resolution provides an official, permanent legislative record recognizing Henderson's decades of public service in firefighting and fire safety training, giving his family a formal document of appreciation from the state legislature.
Key provisions
- The resolution recites Henderson's career history, from joining the Rome-Floyd Fire Department in 1975 to becoming chief and retiring in 2015.
- It notes his later role as Executive Director of the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council from 2015 to 2022.
- It resolves that the House extends sympathies to his family and honors his service to the fire service and citizens of Georgia.
- It directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to the family.
From the bill
“the members of this body extend the deepest sympathies to the family of Chief Gordon Henderson, as well as honor and commed his many years of exemplary service and outstanding contributions to the fire serive and the citizens of Georgia.”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Katie Dempsey (R, HD-013)
- Shaw Blackmon (R, HD-146)
- Eddie Lumsden (R, HD-012)
- Matt Barton (R, HD-005)
- Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
Topics
- firefighters
- Rome-Floyd Fire Department
- legislative tribute
- fire safety training