The Westlake Fire and Police departments will buy new equipment thanks to two $40,000 donations from LyondellBasell (LYB).

LYB’s global corporate citizenship program aims to meet specific community needs by collaborating with local organizations. Armando Lara, site manager, told the American Press the departments both needed new equipment.

The fire department will purchase battery-powered excavation cutters and spreaders to improve agility and speed in response to emergencies. Fire Chief Jonathan Duff said WFD is purchasing the equipment in preparation for the Interstate 10 bridge reconstruction.

“This tool will give us the ability to respond faster and access harder-to-reach places, including incidents on the bridge,” he said. “It will also allow us to reserve our existing resources for other incidents north of the railroad tracks.”

The police department will buy updated radio equipment to ensure streamlined communication between officers and units.

“This update to our communication system will allow us to better serve the community of Westlake and the surrounding areas, and better equip our response capabilities ahead of the I-10 bridge reconstruction, Police Chief Chris Wilrye said in a release.

Lara said the “broader goals of the corporation” emphasize sustainability goals. A critical piece of meeting those goals is community outreach and support, and first responders are an essential component of the community.

“We live in the communities where we operate, so we need to support and benefit our home as much as possible,” he said. “Because of the nature of our business, we need to make sure that we manage risks in a proper way and having a relationship with the emergency respondents is an essential part of that.”