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WHEELING - Efforts of life-saving personnel in the city of Wheeling were bolstered this week with the purchase of needed equipment for fire and emergency medical service crews totaling more than $550,000.
Members of Wheeling City Council this week finalized three pieces of legislation this week to authorize buying various fire and EMS equipment, including two new ambulances.
"These purchases are much needed to the Wheeling Fire Department," Fire Chief Larry Helms said. "Ambulances are the most used vehicles in our fleet, with more than 60 percent of our calls for service being medical related."
Council approved the purchase of two 2021 Ford E-450 Type 1 ambulances, with the purchase to be charged to the city's Project Fund. City leaders also authorized the $70,510 purchase of three Lifepacks 15V4 monitors, defibrillators and accessories from Stryker Medical of Chicago for use by the fire department, as well as a $22,180 purchase of Fire Dex coats and pants from Fire Force Inc. of Pittsburgh.
"(T)he defibrillators will be replacing aging equipment, and the personal protection equipment will equip our new recruits," Helms said. "Altogether, these purchases will enhance our department to better serve the citizens of Wheeling."
While the ambulances are being purchased from the city's Project Fund, the defibrillators and firefighters' suits are being purchased with money from the city's RCIP (Restricted Capital Improvement Program) fund and Fire Equipment Fund, respectively.
"Our fire department provides vital services to Wheeling residents with more than half of the calls answered being medical in nature," Vice Mayor Chad Thalman said. "It is imperative that the members of our fire department have the necessary equipment to do their jobs effectively."
Councilman Ben Seidler said earlier this week he had the opportunity to see the city's fire and EMS crews getting the job done on Wheeling Island.
"I don't spend a lot of time following the fire department around and watching them," Seidler said. "I'm obviously very thankful for them, and I typically see what goes on in the news with them. But I had the opportunity to see for myself when I heard on the scanner the other day that there was a fire on South York Street."
Seidler said he knows a lot of residents in this area, so he grabbed some blankets, jumped in his vehicle and drove to the area of the scene, where he watched firefighters quickly extinguish a house fire.
"Those men and women in the fire department are incredible," he said. "I've not seen such a more organized group with incredible teamwork put together. I just want to thank them for getting that fire knocked out quickly. The house next to it — you could probably reach out and touch it, and they saved that house from major damage. It was an incredible job."