The cities of Keller and Westlake took one step closer to merging their respective fire departments on March 16 as Keller City Council voted unanimously to begin a 16-month interlocal agreement and feasibility study.
Starting April 1, Westlake Fire-EMS Chief Richard Whitten, who has worked in the department for 16 years, will take over the role of interim chief for Keller’s Fire-Rescue department. That same day, Keller Fire-Rescue will begin responding to calls in Westlake.
“We get a fire chief for no additional dollars, and ...we will send our leadership team [and] battalion chiefs, which Westlake does not have right now,” Keller City Manager Mark Hafner said. “They are desirous of having battalion chiefs, so we’ll just be working together in giving the citizens even better service and better resources than they have right now.”
According to a March 16 presentation to City Council, Hafner said Keller and Westlake will equally split the cost of consultants hired for input on the feasibility study, and no changes will be made to either department’s budget or employee compensation during the 16-month trial period.
