Fire Equipment of the Wheeling City Council Considering Upgrade

Officials said that pending purchases worth nearly half a million dollars will provide crucial Equipment upgrades to the city of Wheeling’s fire and police departments. Second readings on new laws regarding Equipment acquisitions are expected to be considered at the Wheeling City Council’s next meeting early next month. Those two new bills were introduced in the first readings before the city council last week. In addition, the Finance Committee of Council requested a change to the current fiscal year’s budget because of one ordinance for the larger of the two purchases.

“The fire department obtained a grant from the federal government for self-contained breathing apparatus for roughly $400,000,” City Manager Robert Herron stated. “From both an income and expenditure standpoint, that grant should be included in the budget.” The city matched $42,000 on that project.” According to Wheeling Fire Chief Jim Blazier, the grant funded by the American Fire Act’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program permits fire departments around the country to apply for cash for specific projects.

Each year, the petitions are approved or denied, and the Wheeling Fire Department was lucky enough to have their request approved in the most recent round of grant awards. Members of the Council’s Finance Committee authorized a budget amendment to allow this transaction to be made with grant money and matching funds.

The council also heard the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of communication technology for police cruisers. The legislation permits the city manager to spend $68,233 on this Equipment with BearCom of Dallas, Texas. The police car Equipment will be purchased with monies from the city’s Restricted Capital Improvement Program (RCIP).