--- title: HR 1538. City of Cochran Fire Department; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1538 cite_as: HR 1538, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1538 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1538.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1538/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73808 date: 2026-03-03 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1537.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1539.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1538.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1538 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-03 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Danny Mathis - Lauren McDonald - Johnny Chastain - Derrick McCollum - Joseph Gullett - Bill Yearta text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1538/2025 upstream_id: 2128638 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - fire department - first responders - public safety - Cochran Georgia - legislative commendation --- # HR 1538. City of Cochran Fire Department; commend ## Text House Resolution 1538 By: Representatives Mathis of the 133rd, McDonald III of the 26th, Chastain of the 7th, McCollum of the 30th, Gullett of the 19th, and others A RESOLUTION Commending the City of Cochran Fire Department; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, on December 25, 2025, the City of Cochran Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire on 145 North Sixth Street, where a female occupant was reported to be trapped within a rapidly burning residence; and WHEREAS, responding units arrived to find a single-story wood-frame building with heavy, concentrated flames and dense black smoke venting from every door and window, at which time multiple individuals directed the firefighters to the bedroom where the trapped female was located; and WHEREAS, Chief Brock Wilcher immediately allocated all available resources to search and rescue operations, and the firefighters entered the residence through an exterior bedroom window under conditions of extreme heat and zero visibility; and WHEREAS, upon finding the female subject unconscious and unresponsive, the firefighters quickly removed her from the structure and initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation before transferring patient care to Heartland EMS; and WHEREAS, the individual was transported soon thereafter to a burn center in Augusta, Georgia, to recover from her injuries, and she is expected to return to Cochran and her family later this month; and WHEREAS, the coordinated actions of Chief Brock Wilcher, Sergeant Colton Kleinfeld, Firefighter Timothy McElroy, Firefighter Quang Nguyen, Firefighter Bruce Nguyen, Firefighter Nicholas Mleczko, and Firefighter Michael Angus exemplified decisive leadership, operational discipline, and a clear prioritization of human life under dangerous and rapidly evolving conditions; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the courage, professionalism, and lifesaving actions demonstrated by the City of Cochran Fire Department be appropriately honored by this body. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend the City of Cochran Fire Department for its bravery, decisive action, and exceptional service during this life-threatening incident and express sincere appreciation for its exemplary dedication to the safety and well-being of the citizens of this state. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the City of Cochran Fire Department. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution commends the City of Cochran Fire Department for rescuing a woman from a burning home on December 25, 2025, recognizing the crew members involved by name. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors the City of Cochran Fire Department for its response to a house fire on North Sixth Street in Cochran on December 25, 2025. Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames and smoke and were told a woman was trapped inside. Under Chief Brock Wilcher's direction, crew members entered through a bedroom window in extreme heat and zero visibility, found the unconscious woman, pulled her out, and began CPR before handing her care to Heartland EMS. She was taken to a burn center in Augusta and was expected to return home later that month. The resolution does not change any law. It formally commends the department and the named firefighters for their actions and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to the fire department. ### What it does - Formally commends the City of Cochran Fire Department for its actions during a December 25, 2025 house fire rescue. - Names and praises specific individuals: Chief Brock Wilcher, Sergeant Colton Kleinfeld, and Firefighters Timothy McElroy, Quang Nguyen, Bruce Nguyen, Nicholas Mleczko, and Michael Angus. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to the fire department. - Creates no new law, funding, or penalty; it is a ceremonial expression of appreciation by the House. ### Who it affects The City of Cochran Fire Department and the named firefighters and chief are directly honored. The rescued resident and her family, Heartland EMS, and the Cochran community are referenced in the resolution's account of the incident. ### Why it matters While the resolution carries no legal or financial effect, it creates an official public record recognizing the specific first responders who rescued a woman from a burning home, which can matter to the department, the individuals named, and the community they serve. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the December 25, 2025 fire at 145 North Sixth Street and the rescue of a trapped, unconscious woman. - The resolved clause commends the department for bravery, decisive action, and exceptional service and expresses appreciation for its dedication to public safety. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute a copy of the resolution to the City of Cochran Fire Department. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-03) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-03) - Sponsors: Danny Mathis, Lauren McDonald, Johnny Chastain, Derrick McCollum, Joseph Gullett, Bill Yearta - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73808 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1538.md?full=1