Each year, the brutal Texas summer takes its toll on previously manicured grass, AC units, and the water supply. Increased temperatures and little rainfall lead to drought conditions that make way for increased wildfires and grassfires each season; The Southlake Fire Department continues to provide assistance to areas in need.
As temperatures rise, so does the need for extra resources – water, gear, and helping hands, but Southlake Fire, a Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFDA) partner, is no stranger to a bond that begins with one of the golden rules – sharing is caring. This week on Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman meets with Lieutenant Frank Molinets of the Southlake Fire Department to get an in-depth look at the Wildland Deployment Program.
“Throughout the year, we participate in many deployments throughout the state of Texas, mainly wildland deployments, where we send wildland-trained firefighters out to support local jurisdictions in any time of need. For the last few years, Texas has experienced drought conditions, and these resources have been needed throughout the state on multiple occasions,” said Molinets.
The Southlake Fire Department debuted its new Tender, an apparatus that stores up to 3,000 gallons of water, on a deployment to Fort Stockton this summer. This piece of equipment assisted in extinguishing roadside flames and keeping people and animals who live there safe.
Positions on the Wildland team are highly coveted, and practice with new equipment and tactics continues long after the drought season is over. With firefighters dedicating over 100 hours each of initial training, yearly preparation with regional and state partners, and much more, the Southlake crews are ready to tackle the smoke and flames ahead.
Depending on the severity, deployments can last a few days to a few weeks, but no matter the duration, the Protect Southlake team continues to rise to the occasion.
As he listened in on what the program entailed, Mayor Huffman remarked, “It really speaks to the heart that you have and the heart that your team has, that you guys would take the time to get trained for this, but also take the time to deploy.”
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
Each year, the brutal Texas summer takes its toll on previously manicured grass, AC units, and the water supply. Increased temperatures and little rainfall lead to drought conditions that make way for increased wildfires and grassfires each season; The Southlake Fire Department continues to provide assistance to areas in need.
As temperatures rise, so does the need for extra resources – water, gear, and helping hands, but Southlake Fire, a Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFDA) partner, is no stranger to a bond that begins with one of the golden rules – sharing is caring. This week on Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman meets with Lieutenant Frank Molinets of the Southlake Fire Department to get an in-depth look at the Wildland Deployment Program.
“Throughout the year, we participate in many deployments throughout the state of Texas, mainly wildland deployments, where we send wildland-trained firefighters out to support local jurisdictions in any time of need. For the last few years, Texas has experienced drought conditions, and these resources have been needed throughout the state on multiple occasions,” said Molinets.
The Southlake Fire Department debuted its new Tender, an apparatus that stores up to 3,000 gallons of water, on a deployment to Fort Stockton this summer. This piece of equipment assisted in extinguishing roadside flames and keeping people and animals who live there safe.
Positions on the Wildland team are highly coveted, and practice with new equipment and tactics continues long after the drought season is over. With firefighters dedicating over 100 hours each of initial training, yearly preparation with regional and state partners, and much more, the Southlake crews are ready to tackle the smoke and flames ahead.
Depending on the severity, deployments can last a few days to a few weeks, but no matter the duration, the Protect Southlake team continues to rise to the occasion.
As he listened in on what the program entailed, Mayor Huffman remarked, “It really speaks to the heart that you have and the heart that your team has, that you guys would take the time to get trained for this, but also take the time to deploy.”
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
Each year, the brutal Texas summer takes its toll on previously manicured grass, AC units, and the water supply. Increased temperatures and little rainfall lead to drought conditions that make way for increased wildfires and grassfires each season; The Southlake Fire Department continues to provide assistance to areas in need.
As temperatures rise, so does the need for extra resources – water, gear, and helping hands, but Southlake Fire, a Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFDA) partner, is no stranger to a bond that begins with one of the golden rules – sharing is caring. This week on Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman meets with Lieutenant Frank Molinets of the Southlake Fire Department to get an in-depth look at the Wildland Deployment Program.
“Throughout the year, we participate in many deployments throughout the state of Texas, mainly wildland deployments, where we send wildland-trained firefighters out to support local jurisdictions in any time of need. For the last few years, Texas has experienced drought conditions, and these resources have been needed throughout the state on multiple occasions,” said Molinets.
The Southlake Fire Department debuted its new Tender, an apparatus that stores up to 3,000 gallons of water, on a deployment to Fort Stockton this summer. This piece of equipment assisted in extinguishing roadside flames and keeping people and animals who live there safe.
Positions on the Wildland team are highly coveted, and practice with new equipment and tactics continues long after the drought season is over. With firefighters dedicating over 100 hours each of initial training, yearly preparation with regional and state partners, and much more, the Southlake crews are ready to tackle the smoke and flames ahead.
Depending on the severity, deployments can last a few days to a few weeks, but no matter the duration, the Protect Southlake team continues to rise to the occasion.
As he listened in on what the program entailed, Mayor Huffman remarked, “It really speaks to the heart that you have and the heart that your team has, that you guys would take the time to get trained for this, but also take the time to deploy.”
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
Each year, the brutal Texas summer takes its toll on previously manicured grass, AC units, and the water supply. Increased temperatures and little rainfall lead to drought conditions that make way for increased wildfires and grassfires each season; The Southlake Fire Department continues to provide assistance to areas in need.
As temperatures rise, so does the need for extra resources – water, gear, and helping hands, but Southlake Fire, a Northeast Fire Department Association (NEFDA) partner, is no stranger to a bond that begins with one of the golden rules – sharing is caring. This week on Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman meets with Lieutenant Frank Molinets of the Southlake Fire Department to get an in-depth look at the Wildland Deployment Program.
“Throughout the year, we participate in many deployments throughout the state of Texas, mainly wildland deployments, where we send wildland-trained firefighters out to support local jurisdictions in any time of need. For the last few years, Texas has experienced drought conditions, and these resources have been needed throughout the state on multiple occasions,” said Molinets.
The Southlake Fire Department debuted its new Tender, an apparatus that stores up to 3,000 gallons of water, on a deployment to Fort Stockton this summer. This piece of equipment assisted in extinguishing roadside flames and keeping people and animals who live there safe.
Positions on the Wildland team are highly coveted, and practice with new equipment and tactics continues long after the drought season is over. With firefighters dedicating over 100 hours each of initial training, yearly preparation with regional and state partners, and much more, the Southlake crews are ready to tackle the smoke and flames ahead.
Depending on the severity, deployments can last a few days to a few weeks, but no matter the duration, the Protect Southlake team continues to rise to the occasion.
As he listened in on what the program entailed, Mayor Huffman remarked, “It really speaks to the heart that you have and the heart that your team has, that you guys would take the time to get trained for this, but also take the time to deploy.”
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
Our #ProtectSouthlake Team just got a little bigger! Explore the new Fire Department Tender as it debuts right here in this exclusive Minute with the Mayor.
As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to highlight safety and security, National Safety Month is part of the bigger picture when it comes to how Southlake operates. This week on Minute with the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem Shawn McCaskill took a field trip to Southlake DPS Station 1 to meet with Deputy Chief Jeremy Wilson about a specialty apparatus designed to kick our fire response up a notch.
In December 2022, the Fire Department received a new piece of equipment called the Tender. This apparatus is heavy-duty, complete with enough storage for 3,000 gallons of water. It is outfitted with a portable storage tank that allows the Protect Southlake Team to work without interruption.
“We really designed it to be able to dump water at a scene and respond back to another location and fill it up with water. It ensures that we have fire suppression if we lose water because of inclement weather or if we have events where we lose power and our pumps can't run,” said Deputy Chief Wilson.
This integral feature supports the efforts of the Southlake Fire Department to provide a rapid and relentless response to fires, especially in the upcoming heat of summer months.
Firefighters have been trained at Tarrant County College during the acquisition of this apparatus to better serve the community.
Although a large investment, this worthwhile piece of the safety and security puzzle provides Southlake’s citizens with the best possible protection. “Well, from a City Council perspective, we're ready, willing, and able — and y'all know this — to support you all with whatever equipment you need, including this new piece of equipment. And we're happy to do that and provide that in our budget,” said McCaskill.
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
Bored at home? This summer, dive into everything that the Southlake Public Library has to offer with its programming for kids of all ages!
This year’s summer reading program began on May 26, but it’s not too late to sign up! The free and simple registration is still open for the “All Together Now” program which runs through July 21, 2023. This experience is full of adventures, weekly challenges, prizes, reading, and more.
Prizes this year are better than ever, ranging from toys to technology to encourage all to flip those pages! To see the prize displays, visit the library on the first floor of Town Hall.
However, if you’re looking to get out of the house, consider viewing the events tab on the Southlake Public Library Facebook page. Here, you can find a list of all upcoming events including magic shows, creature features, cultural performances, chalk art, and so much more.
Kids of all ages, and adults young at heart too, can explore the magic of making memories all summer long at the library.
For more information, please contact the Southlake Public Library at 817-748-8243 or visit www.SouthlakePublicLibrary.com.
To watch the full episode of Minute with the Mayor, click below.
The spirit of Halloween may be about ghosts, goblins, candy, and things that go bump in the night, but the Southlake Historical Society has a different take on this year’s spooky season.
On this week’s Minute with the Mayor, SHS member Tamara McMillan spoke with Mayor John Huffman about the organization’s plans to educate the public on the real-life spirits of Southlake by hosting their annual event, Ghosts of Southlake’s Past.
The event will be held in Hood Cemetery located on Coventry Lane near east Peytonville Avenue in the Coventry Manor subdivision on Saturday, November 12, at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
“We have several cemeteries in the area that people don’t know about,” said McMillan. “There are many people buried here who actually were really putting the community together; there are also a lot of unmarked graves because in those times, very often, people really weren’t able to mark their graves.” “We really want to educate people about what happened here.”
Reenactors will tell the story of the people who are buried.
“This year, we have some good stories, we have a horse thief, we have a confederate soldier, and we have an unmarked grave with a mother and her daughter telling their story about how they got here,” she said.
“It’s a great way to end Spooky Season,” said, Mayor John Huffman.
Tickets for this event are required and can be purchased online at Tickets to the City or www.southlakehistory.org. A limited number of tickets will be available the night of the event. The tour will be held rain or shine. Participants should be a small flashlight, wear comfortable shoes and dress weather conditions.
The spirit of Halloween may be about ghosts, goblins, candy, and things that go bump in the night, but the Southlake Historical Society has a different take on this year’s spooky season.
On this week’s Minute with the Mayor, SHS member Tamara McMillan spoke with Mayor John Huffman about the organization’s plans to educate the public on the real-life spirits of Southlake by hosting their annual event, Ghosts of Southlake’s Past.
The event will be held in Hood Cemetery located on Coventry Lane near east Peytonville Avenue in the Coventry Manor subdivision on Saturday, November 12, at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
“We have several cemeteries in the area that people don’t know about,” said McMillan. “There are many people buried here who actually were really putting the community together; there are also a lot of unmarked graves because in those times, very often, people really weren’t able to mark their graves.” “We really want to educate people about what happened here.”
Reenactors will tell the story of the people who are buried.
“This year, we have some good stories, we have a horse thief, we have a confederate soldier, and we have an unmarked grave with a mother and her daughter telling their story about how they got here,” she said.
“It’s a great way to end Spooky Season,” said, Mayor John Huffman.
Tickets for this event are required and can be purchased online at Tickets to the City or www.southlakehistory.org. A limited number of tickets will be available the night of the event. The tour will be held rain or shine. Participants should be a small flashlight, wear comfortable shoes and dress weather conditions.
With the new Police Training Simulator program, Southlake Police officers can now train for real-world scenarios. In this week's Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman toured the training facility at DPS North.
Through the program, led by Sergeant Macheca, officers learn conflict resolution, firearms proficiency, and quick decision-making skills. Additionally, it allows officers to evaluate their decisions in real time.
“So here at the police department, we’re always looking for ways to advance our training, make it more realistic, make it safer, and we decided to invest in this assimilation program.” Sergeant Macheca said.
It is also safe and efficient, as the gear that officers use during training mimics the gear they use on the job.
The training is observed by another officer at all times.
With the new Police Training Simulator program, Southlake Police officers can now train for real-world scenarios. In this week's Minute with the Mayor, Mayor John Huffman toured the training facility at DPS North.
Through the program, led by Sergeant Macheca, officers learn conflict resolution, firearms proficiency, and quick decision-making skills. Additionally, it allows officers to evaluate their decisions in real time.
“So here at the police department, we’re always looking for ways to advance our training, make it more realistic, make it safer, and we decided to invest in this assimilation program.” Sergeant Macheca said.
It is also safe and efficient, as the gear that officers use during training mimics the gear they use on the job.
The training is observed by another officer at all times.
