American Legion honors local officers
Parks and Recreation proposes five-year city improvement plan draft
Pullman Police Officer Brian Chamberlin, left, saved a man from suicide, which earned him the 2019 Humanitarian & Life Saving award presented during a Pullman City Council meeting on Tuesday evening at City Hall.
February 12, 2020
A representative from the American Legion honored police officers and firefighters with awards and discussed plans to improve the city during Pullman City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday.
The American Legion is a veteran’s organization dedicated to helping other veterans and their local communities.
The American Legion awarded officers for acts of bravery in the city of Pullman. The first award was the “Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer” of the year award.
It was presented to Officer Don Heroff, who won because of his contributions in the transition period within the Pullman Police Department, said Ted Weatherly, combat veteran and American Legion member.
Heroff was just one of several other officers who received honors. Weatherly said Officer Brian Chamberlin saved a man from suicide, an act which earned him the “Humanitarian and Life Saving Award.”
The American Legion is now open to all veterans who served active duty, and all who are interested are welcome to apply, Weatherly said. For additional information, people can email Weatherly at [email protected].
The American Legion also honored firefighters for their actions during April’s floods with the “Humanitarian and Life Saving Award.”
The City of Pullman was fined for the firefighters’ actions because they violated Occupational Safety and Health Administration code. Twenty-two people were saved, one of whom was an infant and another who was having a diabetic crisis.
“Every one of [the firefighters] did an outstanding job,” Mayor Glenn Johnson said.
Pullman Fire Department worked over the past year to reduce the number of fires and educate people on what creates a risk of fire, Fire Chief Mike Heston said. The department is hoping to hire an eighth firefighter and place four in each station.
“A lot of sororities and fraternities give us alarms,” Heston said.
He added that microwaveable popcorn is a natural enemy of the fire department.
Pullman Parks and Recreation went over its comprehensive five-year plan to improve city parks. The plan focused on how families could benefit from the new plan.
Councilmembers Brandon Chapman and Dan Records both mentioned this as a strength of the 150-page document.
Complete Streets is an initiative for accessibility in downtown area for disabled and handicapped people. The current version of Complete Streets is the second draft and additional amendments are planned.
Tod Merley • Feb 13, 2020 at 7:13 am
“Proper Tools and Skills Needed”
For 22 years I was a broadcast technician. Many broadcast towers came under my care. At one station the GM decided that a blimp was the most efficient way to advertise. After doing some calculations considering how our local winds would affect operations of the blimp I told him that I believed that using a blimp in our area was a bad idea. Well the blimp got away from the ground crew and hung itself from the 300 foot level of our 400 foot broadcast tower.
The firemen who showed up to handle the emergency actually tried to climb the tower in full gear. While there is one Pullman fireman who might have been able to do that very simply it is not how you work on a broadcast tower. When the broadcast tower crew showed up they scrambled to the 300 foot level with appropriate tools, secured the basket, got the pilot off the tower, lowered the propane tanks, and then the rest of the blimp. Some things simply take special training and experience.
When I heard that the state had issued a fine after the April 9th flood I remembered that they had used a front loader to rescue the people. I wondered what would have happened if they had simply waited for the waters to recede. But I guess the concern must have been that the waters would rise? It was reported that cars floated away from where they were parked during the flood.
Many things could have happened. Water could have stopped the engine. A floating car could have flipped the loader. The water could have risen. I am glad they came out of it alive but a front loader is not a “row and go” swift water rescue tool.