#wheelingfiredepartment

It is going to be long and one level with enough bays for all of the engines, ladder trucks, and the equipment currently scattered around the city, and Wheeling Fire Chief Larry Helms is pleased with the location in East Wheeling. The exact location, the chief said, for the $8 million fire department headquarters should be finalized in the near future, and construction should begin this summer. “The location will put us close to W.Va. Route 2 and Interstate 70, and it also will put us right in the middle of the area where this station needs to be,” Helms explained. “Plus, all of our research on the area indicates that it was residential in the past, and that’s it. It’s all moving way too slowly for me, but that’s only because I have been anxious for a while to get this accomplished for the future of the department. “The nuts and bolts of this project at this location are the negotiations for the property because the city does not own it,” he continued. “But we have been making progress, and I am happy for the future of the fire department because we have a great design that will be very productive and functional for many years.”

When 19th Street was the proposed location for a public safety building, this was the released rendering.

A Long-Time Need

Mayor Glenn Elliott joined Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger and Chief Helms to instigate a citywide conversation about the need to replace the locations of both the police department and fire headquarters. The police department has operated out of a small space on the first floor of the Ohio County Courthouse since the late 1950s, and the fire headquarters has been located on the bottom level of the Center Wheeling Parking Garage since 1976. Initially, the mayor proposed a public safety building for both departments on the corner of 10th and Market streets with an increase in property taxes as the funding source, but that option was denied by voters in November 2018. Mayor Elliott and City Council members then developed a $2-per-week User Fee for all employees working within the city limits, and once approved, plans moved forward for a consolidated building along 19th Street in East Wheeling. That idea faded, however, once the city acquired the former Ohio Valley Medical Center Campus because the Valley Professional Center was deemed perfect for the new police headquarters. “We’ve been lucky because the last few councils and mayors have listened to our concerns and have wanted to do something about it,” Helms said. “But anyone who has worked for either department over the last 25 years has known the need for new, larger spaces because both departments have grown through the years.” As for the fire department, Helms recalls conversations with former Chief Cliff Sligar more than 20 years ago. “I know placing the headquarters here in Centre Market was the best solution city officials had at the time it moved here in the mid-1970s,” Helms said. “Chief (Cliff) Sligar was happy to move into here at the time because he was getting a new facility, but he also knew that it was going to become a burden over time. “Cliff made his concerns known, and I know Chief (Steve) Johnson really wanted a new headquarters at the 10th Street location,” he said. “But right now, we are looking at a very good area in East Wheeling that will be a good location to deploy our units and will give us better coverage on the interstates. That location likely will be a topic of conversation very soon so we can move forward.”

This is one parcel in East Wheeling that could be an option for the city of Wheeling for its new fire headquarters.

For the Future

With a decision looming concerning the future of the former Ohio Valley Medical Center campus, members of Wheeling’s city council also must decide how to proceed with a three-acre property along 19th Street in East Wheeling. The parcel has been environmentally investigated for the possible construction of a public safety building for the city’s police and fire departments, but that project could be altered if council votes in favor of acquiring the OVMC property. One option, according to City Manager Bob Herron, is for council to acquire both properties for future economic development. “That is a decision for the members of city council to make,” Herron said. “Based on the information that we have received, and the fact that we know everything about the three acres as far as the asbestos, the demolition that would be required to clear the site, and what it would take to raise a portion of the property out of the flood plain, there is the possibility that city council would consider acquiring the property for future development. “It does need cleaned up, but there’s about three acres there with access to full utilities,” he said. “So, purchasing it for future development is an option and that’s a decision for the local elected officials to make.”

This property on 19th Street is the proposed location of a new public safety building for the city of Wheeling.

Industrial Land

The East Wheeling property once was home to industry but has sat silent for more than two decades after a manufacturing operation closed. The property owner initially requested $534,000, but Herron was able to negotiate a two-prong agreement that calls for a $150,000 payment with another $195,000 being placed in escrow while awaiting word on a federal brownfield grant application. If the grant is not approved, the city would retain the $195,000 and utilize the monies as part of the funds needed to remediate the property. In additional to the environment clean-up, about 50 percent of the three-acre property would need raised by eight feet to remove the land from the flood plain. “All of the environmental work is done on the 19th Street property and it is ready for a recommendation for city council when it is placed on the agenda later this month,” Herron explained. “It was determined in May that the contamination that was being studied did not move underground, and that was very good news.  It is a chemical that has been there for more than a hundred years and it’s not moving. “That property has been an industrial site for many years, and this study took place in an area that is in the back of it near the creek,” he said. “As far as the plans the city has for building on the property, this area would not be involved so it would not be an issue in the future, according to our environmental consultants.”

Before a vote in November 2018 failed, this was the rendering of the proposed public safety for the city of Wheeling.

The Need

Plans were in place for further development inside the North Wheeling Community Dream Center, but now the interior of the 35,000-square-foot venue appears more like a nightmare. One week before Dr. Darrell Cummings was to finally stage the annual Easter food give-away, a waterfall burst into action on the structure’s fourth floor and the damage, the pastor said, could banish the effort into bankruptcy. Because W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice ordered religious organizations and churches to cease congregating members, funds for the Dream Center diminished and forced Cummings into establishing a payment plan with the insurance company covering 407 North Main Street. And then, between 3,000-5,000 gallons of water soaked the structure. “We got a call from the alarm company and were informed that something was going on at the Dream Center. Originally, they thought it was a fire,” Cummings explained. “So, we immediately went down there, and the amazing Wheeling Fire Department was already there, but it wasn’t a fire. It was water that was flowing from the sprinkler system on the top floor of the building. “The water ran down from there and throughout all the floors beneath it, and it destroyed everything that it touched,” he said. “It looked like a rain forest in there. The water was just pouring down even after the firefighters had shut off the water to the building.”

The crews from Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration were on scene the day after the damage took place.

The Unexpected Call

Ceilings were slumping and walls were leaning the first time Cummings was able to walk through the community center, and that is when the dream turned into a disaster. “But then I received a call from Bob (Contraguero) Sr., and he said he really wanted to help us,” Cummings recounted. “I told him that I really didn’t want him and his crews to do anything until I knew whether or not the insurance was going to come through because I didn’t want to create another debt. It was a time of uncertainty, and the last thing I needed to do was dig that hole deeper. “He expressed confidence that the insurance company would cover it, and if not, he said he’s got lawyers, so he sent his crews to the Dream Center, and those folks have been there ever since. What a blessing,” he continued. “The folks at Panhandle Cleaning use some amazing technology when they are working on jobs like this one. All they had to do was take some pictures, and then they could walk us through the building on a computer in this 3-D system. You feel like you’re walking through the building. It was truly amazing.” Even today, six trucks and several crews from Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration were on-site to continue the remediation. “Every day we walk through, we have seen how incredible their work has been. They brought out an army for us, and we couldn’t be more thankful,” Cummings said. “They have this drying machine that has been pulling the dampness out; they pulled up all of the carpet that was just drenched, and they have taken out the walls that were ruined by all of that water.”

Much of what was inside the Dream Center has had to be removed by crews with Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration.

What Is Next?

More than five Wheeling firefighters spent a few evenings at Wesbanco Arena last week while quarantining after possible exposure to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Fire Chief Larry Helms explained the firefighters were forced into isolation at the facility after responding to calls for medical assistance. “We did have some possible exposures from multiple calls and six of our guys had to quarantine after they were tested for COVID-19,” Helms revealed on The Watchdog (98.1 FM WKKX and 97.7 FM WVLY). “Our concern has been from the start about our firefighters and trying to keep them as safe as possible, and another concern is that not too many firefighters get sick at the same time. We only have so many people to do the jobs that we do. “We did do the quarantine for those guys out of precaution. None of them reported any symptoms, and thankfully we did get the results back on them in just a few days and everyone was healthy and relieved,” he said. “But that’s what we have to do immediately so we can keep the residents of Wheeling safe, and so we can keep each other safe.”

This back entrance to Wesbanco Arena was utilized by fire department members while delivering food.

On the Floor?

Wesbanco Arena is a facility that not only features the main level where everything from hockey games to high school graduations take place, but the building also features separate areas for meetings and dining. The quarantined firefighters were lodged in the area where Generations does business during events, a space that is in close proximity to the locker room area utilized by the Wheeling Nailers. “Some of the guys did quarantine at home because they could, but several of them quarantined at Wesbanco Arena,” Helms reported. “We set up an area where club area is is for the events there, and it seemed to be pretty comfortable for them with the beds, the food we were dropping off to them, and with all of the big screen TVs that are down there. “Denny (Magruder) really set them up, that’s for sure,” he continued. “They had access to everything that they needed, and fortunately there were only there for a few days before their results came back negative. We’ve been blessed because other fire departments across the country have been hit pretty hard.”

Now that the quarantined firefighters tested negative for Covid-19, they have returned to duty.

A Public Building

Suspect Sought.

Wheeling Police detectives announced Thursday they have issued an arrest warrant in last week’s shooting on Rock Point Road that injured a man. Police are seeking information and the whereabouts on Devon Alexander Bertram, 30 of Wheeling. He is charged with attempted murder and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Bertram should be considered armed and dangerous. The victim is recovering after being shot and was released from the hospital. If anyone has information, they are urged to call police at 304-234-3664 or submit a crime tip online at wheelingwv.gov/crimetip.

Emergency Contacted Needed.

The Wheeling Fire Department’s Bureau of Fire Prevention is currently seeking emergency contact information from city building and business owners in order to update its records system. The bureau is making this pro-active approach via telephone only and no in person business visits will occur. Officials with the Wheeling Fire Department will be making phone calls during regular business hours to current business/building owner information on file. WFD personnel will identify themselves when making these calls. Should anyone wish to update or verify their emergency contact information, they are asked to call 304-234-3726 or 304-559-4616.

Hearings.

The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia will begin hearing oral arguments next Tuesday while utilizing remote technology. Justices will only hear cases involving time-sensitive abuse and neglect and criminal matters. Other cases are being rescheduled. Arguments will still be broadcasted online with justices are attorneys will participate remotely.

School Calendar Meeting.

The Ohio County Board of Education will hold its 2020-2021 School Calendar Hearing at 5:30 p.m. on April 14. The Board’s regular meeting will follow at 6 p.m. The hearing and regular meeting will not be open to the public due to COVID-19 concerns. However, those sessions can be viewed on Facebook Live. The agenda for the Board’s regular meeting is attached. On April 15, Ohio County Schools will provide a link on the school system’s website and on social media for community comments regarding the proposed calendar. 

WVNCC Making Masks.

West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) staff and faculty have been working around the clock to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) to help aid in the battle against Coronavirus. WVNCC employees have been utilizing the college’s 3D printers in their Makerspace to manufacture N95 masks to ship to the WVNG for distribution. Before the Coronavirus even became a pandemic, two WVNCC employees, David J. Stoffel, MSSE, Associate Professor of CIT and Division Chair of STEM & Business, and Julie Kloss, a librarian who helps oversee the College’s Makerspace, began devising a plan to produce PPE for healthcare workers. However, the WVNG reached out through the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission asking any colleges in the state with 3D printers to come up with a prototype for N95 masks. Stoffel worked with colleagues in the state and Col. Todd Fredricks, WVNG State Surgeon, to develop an approved prototype to meet medical specifications and is shipping their first case of N95 masks this week. The masks will be distributed statewide by the WVNG to first responders and medical professionals. Stoffel is currently working on a new mold that will enable the college to mass produce N95 masks more efficiently.

Health Administrator on Air.