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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

CALERA – The Calera City Council recognized retiring firefighters and a new member of the police department was sworn in during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Feb. 17.

Fire Chief Sean Kendrick and the City Council recognized David Brazier and Phillip Porter for their years of service to the city and its fire department.

“We’re coming into a season where that first of group firemen are starting to retire out, and we want to recognize a couple of them tonight,” Kendrick said. “Doing a career in this business and making it successfully to retirement (with) the physical demand and the mental demands that it takes on your body and your mind is just a great feat.”

Brazier is retiring as a battalion chief and started with the Calera Fire Department in 2002 and served in several roles.

“We hate to lose you, but we’re proud that you made it,” Kendrick said.

Porter is retiring as a lieutenant after starting with the CFD in 1999 as one of the city’s first full-time firefighters.

“I really enjoyed working with Phillip a lot,” Kendrick said. “He was a lot of fun to work with.”

During the meeting, Chief of Police David Hyche swore in officer Chris Jones into the Calera Police Department. According to Hyche, he recently received a call from a citizen who expressed their appreciation for Jones and the work he did in comforting a family after a violence incident had occurred.

“We want proactive law enforcement officers,” Hyche said. “We don’t apologize for enforcing the law, but we do it with professionalism because I think you have to do both. You have to treat people right. You have to help an old lady change a tire. You have to help a family in need like that. You have to go and catch the bad guy and hold them accountable too. It has to be both to be successful and being proactive, you have to also be service-oriented and Chris is definitely that.”

In other business, the Calera City Council approved a lease agreement with Regional Paramedical Services, Inc. for the use of Calera Fire Station No. 1. The council previously approved a contract with RPS during a meeting on Feb. 3, for the organization to provide ambulance services for the city.

The Calera City Council also approved the following items during the meeting:

• Adoption of police policies
• The amending of the administrative classification plan to add administrative fire marshall and administrative training chief
• A lease agreement with Cadence Equipment Finance for one new 2025 Kenworth T480 Chassis New Way 24 YD ASL garbage truck