Al Ponto heard an explosion late at night June 4, smelled smoke, and looked out the back window of his home on Inglewood Drive in Washington.
The former Washington Fire Department firefighter and now honorary member of the department saw flames shooting over the roof of a two-story home on Chestnut Lane, so he sprang into action.
He came to the home and repeatedly pounded on the door to wake up the sleeping occupants. He said he was ready to break a window to get into the home if necessary.
That wasn't needed. The residents woke up thanks to Ponto's door pounding and were safely evacuated.
"Thankfully, it was only a garage fire and Tyler's crew [Washington Fire Chief Tyler Gee] knocked that sucker down in 30 seconds, stopping the fire from getting into the residence," Ponto said. "The owners were back in their home the very next day."
With a few dozen of his neighbors looking on, Ponto was honored by the city during Monday's Washington City Council meeting with a proclamation recognizing his heroic actions.
Mayor Lilija Stevens read and presented the proclamation, and Gee gave him the fire department's lifesaving challenge coin.
"Once this work is in your blood, it's always in your blood, isn't it?" Gee said to Ponto.
Ponto was surprised about the turnout for him.
"Wow. The whole neighborhood is here," he said with a smile after receiving loud applause.
The Chestnut Lane fire was first seen by Ponto at about 11:45 p.m. June 4.
Earlier that day, the Heartland Bank branch on South Cummings Lane in Washington was robbed, setting the stage, Ponto said, for a series of events that possibly prevented a tragedy.
Washington Fire Department firefighters and EMTs were staged near a car accident on East Cruger Road related to the bank robbery investigation, but they were released about the same time the Chestnut Lane home fire call came in.
"That saved four or five minutes [getting to the scene of the fire] that made all the difference in the world," Ponto said. "Otherwise, we could have had two fatalities."
Stevens said she first learned about Ponto's actions June 4 when she was contacted in mid-June by Michele Sullivan, who lives on Inglewood.
This was the second straight council meeting where heroes related to fires were honored by the city.
Six civilians and one Washington firefighter-paramedic each received a proclamation and lifesaving coin for their actions in fires at an assisted living facility and apartment complex about 11 hours apart in May that did result in any fatalities.
City approves officers' contract
A new three-year contract between the city and the union that represents the Washington Police Department's 18 full-time patrol officers was approved unanimously by the council.
Policemen's Benevolent Labor Committee members previously ratified the agreement, which runs through April 30, 2029.
Wages in the contract, retroactive to May 1, range from nearly $66,000 for a new officer in the first year of the agreement to nearly $89,830 for a sixth-year officer in the third year of the contract.
Contract changes include a new longevity pay schedule of $300 in Year 7 and $100 each year after that; an increase of $110 in officers' annual clothing allowance to $900 or $1,000 depending upon position; and condensing the pay scale increases from 24 years to six years, "to improve competitiveness in recruitment and retention," said City Administrator Jeff Fiegenschuh.
"The changes were largely driven by the marketplace," Fiegenschuh said.
The wage increases will add more than $94,200 to the city's budget this fiscal year and nearly $530,800 over the term of the contract.
VFW hosts next 'Talk' event
Stevens announced her next "Let's Talk Washington" informal discussion session will be July 16 from 10-11 a.m. at VFW Post 9016 on Zinser Road.
Joining her will be Police Chief Jeff Stevens, Alderperson Paula Johnson and Fiegenschuh.
Topics discussed at the June session, according to Mayor Stevens, included: whether Washington Plaza should return to its original name of Sunnyland Plaza; why a post-tornado photo appears when someone searches Google for Washington, Illinois; complaints about high water prices charged by Illinois American Water in the Washington Estates subdivision; and riders not following rules on city bike paths.
