Westlake Fire Chief Jonathan Duff reported on recent training with “cutting edge” technology at the Monday Westlake City Council meeting. Firefighter Matthew Webb briefed Council before it voted on an ordinance that could impact fire prevention, and two firefighters were honored at the meeting.

Police Chief Chris Wylrie recognized the following police officers for going above and beyond the call of duty.

Dustin Dennis assisted the fire department in helping rescue a woman from a fire.

Douglas Chandler was dispatched to a wreck on the interstate, and was told there was a possible death. However, when Chandler decided to check to confirm the death, he found the guy moving. Chandler stood there on the interstate, talking to him until EMS was able to get him out of the vehicle.

Jeremy Guice performed the heimlich maneuver on a choking coworker.

Fire and water

At the beginning of Monday’s meeting, Duff presented Francis “Frank” Hidalgo with his leather helmet to commemorate 20 years on the job,

Mayor Hal McMillin presented Steve Weir, who is retiring, with an engraved firefighter’s golden commemorative ax.

McMillin said Weir goes by the nickname Scuba and described him as a great man in the community and a good Christian man.

Duff said that Weir came to the department after a career as a mechanic and “you can’t say he was a Marine because once a Marine, always a Marine.” Weir will continue to work for the department as a volunteer.

Webb, Westlake Fire Department Prevention Officer, told Council about the ordinance on which they were asked to vote at the Monday meeting.

“It’s a continuation of an ordinance that’s already in place and gives us more freedom to do commercial inspections and own fire investigations,” Webb said.

The Westlake Fire Department will leave the initial construction inspections to the state. However, because the state office is short staffed, WFD would like to be able to enforce sprinkler and alarm panel violations of commercial properties.

Duff followed up with some detail on the $40,000 Lyondell-Basell gift to the Westlake Fire Department reported last month. It was used to purchase a fire truck.

The truck will make it easier to“split traffic” on the Interstate 10 bridge, compared to using a fire engine.

Duff also reported to the Council on a week-long trip to Pueblo, Colorado. He and Assistant Chief Melissa “Missy” Bowles went to a “Big Five” FEMA school. The pilot program focused on alternative fuels.

“Even though we’re a small town, a lot of stuff comes through here, transportation-wise,” Duff said.

Firefighters from Sweden demonstrated new equipment that looked like a pressure washer. The water comes out at 4,500 psi, hard enough to go through steel. It can be used on electric car fires. It can also pierce a hole in a roof for ventilation with about 300 gallons of water.

“We’re actually going to have those guys come down here in the next couple of months because they also do a lot with industry, and industry is really interested in that, too.”