Staff Writer
WHEELING In the wake of a record-breaking year for services calls in 2019, the Wheeling Fire Department recorded a rare decline in calls for fire and emergency medical services during an unusual 2020.
According to Wheeling Fire Chief Larry Helms, last year brought not only the first occurrence of a decline in annual service calls in recent memory, but also several different challenges for the department through unprecedented circumstances.
“Overall, our call volume dropped, including most categories of service,” Helms said, reflecting on the Wheeling Fire Department’s year-end statistics that were recently released to the public. “Last year was quite an up-and-down hurdle for the department.”