HM 31 — "BCFD LT. MATTHEW KING DAY"

HOUSE MEMORIAL 31 56TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEWMEXICO - FIRST SESSION 2023 INTRODUCED BY Cynthia Borrego 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL DECLARING FEBRUARY 6, 2023 "BERNALILLO COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT LIEUTENANT MATTHEW KING DAY" IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND HONORING HIS COURAGEOUS SACRIFICE.

156 WHEREAS, Bernalillo county fire department lieutenant Matthew King embodied everything a firefighter aspires to be:

e t 17 an example of courage, dedication and sacrifice;

and w l n d 18 WHEREAS, as a rescue specialist with the Bernalillo county = = 19 a l fire department, Lieutenant King accepted the challenges and i a e r 20 dangers of the career he had embraced;

and a t m m 21 WHEREAS, Lieutenant King grew up in Albuquerque and was a d r e 22 graduate of Eldorado high school;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, Lieutenant King began his firefighting career in e a n b 24 2000 as a volunteer with the Corrales fire department, followed u [ by employment with Albuquerque ambulance service and also .224251.1 worked at times for the Los Ranchos de Albuquerque fire department, the Sandoval county fire department and the Rio Rancho fire and rescue department;

and HM 31 Page 1 WHEREAS, Lieutenant King's life of public service was cut short on July 16, 2022 when he was one of four public safety officers killed in a helicopter crash south of Las Vegas, New Mexico;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, the crew had been making water drops from the w l n d 18 helicopter prior to the crash, which happened during the flight = = 19 a l back to Albuquerque;

and i a e r 20 WHEREAS, Lieutenant King survived the initial crash, a t m m 21 called 911 and was on the line for thirty minutes trying to d r e 22 direct first responders to the site before his death;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, to honor Lieutenant King's service, bravery and e a n b 24 sacrifice, a community gathering to say final goodbyes was held u [ on August 1, 2022 at Tingley coliseum;

and .224251.1 - 2 - WHEREAS, Lieutenant King's funeral was filled with heavy emotions as friends and colleagues recalled the impact Lieutenant King had on their lives;

and WHEREAS, during the funeral, Lieutenant King was given the highest award by the Bernalillo county fire department, HM 31 Page 2 the medal of honor, and his helmet was presented to his colleagues and then to his family;

e t 17 his son, Aedden;

and w l n d 18 WHEREAS, Lieutenant King leaves a legacy as a courageous = = 19 a l public servant who was always guided by his moral compass;

i a e r 20 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF a t m m 21 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that February 6, d r e 22 2023 be declared "Bernalillo County Fire Department Lieutenant c e s k 23 Matthew King Day" in the house of representatives and that e a n b 24 Lieutenant King be honored for his courageous sacrifice;

and u [ BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be .224251.1 - 3 - transmitted to the family of Lieutenant Matthew King.

-HM 431 -Page 43 625 8 10 12 14 16 e t 17 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .224251.1