Councilors and public-safety staff reviewed the city response to a large summer event and a recent nearby building fire during the July 21 meeting.

Deputy Chief Conway reported the county Office of Emergency Services held an after-action review of the event; Whitefish Police Department said the crowd behaved and staff took limited enforcement actions including open-container summonses. Fire Chief Cole said the department staffed the event with seven personnel working long shifts, and at one point transported seven people to hospitals, which briefly left three ambulances committed offsite for about 45 minutes.

Councilors thanked firefighters and police for quick responses to a fire near the viaduct that was extinguished before spreading to adjacent buildings. City staff said the owner of the burned building is obtaining bids and that an asbestos remediation contractor will likely be required; staff expected the owner to pursue cleanup without city funds.

No formal council action was taken; staff and council praised emergency coordination and said organizers are improving event planning with city participation.