ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

A fire on Westhaven Drive earlier this summer caused much damage and left the family to rebuild from the tragedy.

The response team to that incident included multiple members of the Liberal Police Department, who were honored at the beginning of the most recent Liberal City Commission meeting Tuesday evening.

“As the commission is aware, a family in town suffered a devastating house fire back in August. I’ve been here a long time and worked a lot of house fires, and one thing I’ve always taught in terms of public safety education is fire moves extremely fast,” Liberal Fire Chief Kelly Kirk said. “When we tell people to make sure they have extra smoke detectors and have a plan ready for an easy escape, we mean that because you might have literally only seconds to get out. In terms of the way the call went, the 911 dispatcher took the call, and since the fire happened at 4 a.m. that day, the firefighters were probably in bed resting up a bit. The call got dispatched out and the police officers who are out patrolling 24/7, they’re typically the first to arrive on such a scene, and their efforts can go a long way toward ensuring a successful outcome. They’re followed very quickly by firefighting and EMS units depending on what the actual situation is. Every fire is followed up with an investigation, and with the complexity of this fire, and with how things were working, there were a few twists and turns as we uncovered different information. As the investigation went on, I had the opportunity to watch the body cam footage of the police officers who were on the scene, and when I finished watching all of that, I felt this was one case where we needed to the first people who were on the scene. Things have been really good between the fire department and police department, and I want to compliment Chief [Chet] Pinkston and Deputy Chief [Chris] Head because I really feel like they’ve got everything going in the right direction. We’re communicating better than ever before, and I feel like it’s time to recognize those efforts.”

Kirk then continued talking about the response efforts.

“A neighbor had notified us of the fire, and when the first officers arrived on the scene, the fire had control of two vehicles in the driveway area and was starting to extend to the covered porch and front door areas,” Kirk recalled. “When the officers arrived, they correctly deduced there were still people inside and immediately made entry into the house not knowing how much time they actually had. They made entry and were able to evacuate three individuals, one of whom was able to also evacuate a family cat. The officers kept the family under control and away from the scene for us. And their efforts didn’t stop there – the also assisted as our fire units were starting to come onto the scene, and there was an orange fire hydrant aboutr 100 feet away. Those aren’t the best hydrants to have, but it was adequate enough to at least get the extinguishment efforts started. We did evacuate the immediate neighbors and also did some ultimately unsuccessful resucitation efforts on the family’s service dog. Ultimately, the family survived the fire.”

The officers recognized were Officer Kaelan Martinez, Officer Isaias Romo, Corporal Nathan Brennon, Officer Brendan Bryant, and Officer Joel Lopez, all of whom received certificates of commendation for their work.

In the meeting’s new business, the commission adopted Resolution No. 2463, which authorizes the application submission for the Kansas Tourism Department’s Attraction Development Grant for playground equipment at the Mid-America Air Museum. The proposed project includes a large airplane-themed playground set, playground turf, pole-mounted solar lighting, fencing, and benches. The commission also approved Resolution No. 2466, which authorizes the City of Liberal to prepare and submit a BLOCK Program grant application to the Kansas Deparment of Commerce on behalf of the Seward County Development Corporation as the grant applicant. The commission also appointed Ryan Martin to the Planning & Zoning Commission and approved the receipt of a grant that will provide up to $140,944 for purchases of technology deployed to improve the safety, accessibility, and effective mobility for all transportation users. The project involves smart signal upgrades to 11th Street and Kansas Ave., Pine Street and Kansas Ave., and Pershing Ave. and Pancake Blvd.

During the Items from Commissioners portion of the evening, Vice Mayor Janeth Vazquez addressed the recent ICE activity in the area.

“I know today has been incredibly difficult and frightening for many people. Behind every operation are families, parents, children, neighbors, and people who call Southwest Kansas home. It is impossible to ignore the fear and uncertainty that so many are feeling right now,” Vazquez said. “As vice mayor, I take my responsibility to this community seriously. I may not have control over every situation that happens in our city, but I do believe I have a responsibility to speak up, share information, and help our residents navigate difficult moments with as much clarity and compassion as possible. I know there will always be critics. I understand not everyone will agree with me, and I respect people have different opinions. But criticism will never stop me from doing what I believe is my responsibility to the people I serve. I will continue doing everything I can to make sure our community has access to accurate information and knows where to turn for help. No one should feel alone or uninformed during a moment like this. Liberal is our home. We are neighbors, coworkers, friends and family. We may come from different backgrounds, but we all deserve to feel safe in the community we call home. Please look out for one another, check on your neighbors, and take care of your families. Regardless of the criticism, I will continue showing up, speaking up, and serving this community.”

Commissioner Jose Lara also addressed the activity.

“I would like to add we’ve spent the entire day with different volunteers, and those volunteers were focused on the different families that were affected,” Lara said. “There was so much fear they felt, and I can’t accept this happened to the hardworking people of this community.”