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USW recognizes ArcelorMittal employees for action during fire

WEIRTON — Feb. 27 could have been disastrous for a portion of ArcelorMittal’s operations in Weirton were it not for the actions of a group of employees on the No. 5 Pickler.

That day, an area of the pickler caught fire, and could have resulted in millions of dollars of lost equipment and months of lost work time if the employees had not rushed to contain the fire. The United Steelworkers Local 2911 recognized the crew on Friday, presenting them with a certificate of appreciation.

Bob Macek was the first on the scene, discovering the fire.

“I heard a pop,” he explained. “You don’t like to hear pops in a substation.”

He found the fire, called for help and grabbed a fire extinguisher.

“Everyone started bringing in extinguishers,” Macek said.

In addition to Macek, members of the crew included Ian Spooner, Alan Easton, Bill Heckman, Duane Peckens, Sean Brown, Larry Kaser, Dustin Emler, Todd Banfield, Terry Nutter, Perry Stafford and Charles Davidson.

“This whole crew went in there,” Local 2911 Vice President Bill Brenda said. “What they did was above and beyond.”

Kaser explained he was breaking in a new employee when he saw the start of the fire over a security monitor.

“I just shut everything down,” Kaser said, adding the employees were doing everything they could to contain the fire until the Weirton Fire Department could arrive.

The smoke was heavy, though, making it difficult to see.

“You couldn’t see a foot in front of your face,” Spooner said, explaining people were making their way around mostly by memory.

Local 2911 President Mark Glyptis expressed his appreciation for their efforts, saying their swift action helped to prevent disaster.

“They risked their own safety,” Glyptis said.

Kaser said he feels, even with the danger involved, the employees understood the risk to their jobs if the pickler line was destroyed. Spooner agreed, saying work at ArcelorMittal remains one of the good-paying job opportunities in the area.

“The guys in the pickler are special,” Brenda said. “They take pride in their work.”

The pickler line was back in full operation on Friday, according to Brenda.

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