The Wheeling firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty were remembered Monday afternoon with a ceremony by the Wheeling Fire Department.
Following a prayer of remembrance by the Rev. Darrell Cummings, Wheeling Fire Chief Larry Helms spoke briefly of the dangers firefighters are exposed to in the line of duty. The ceremony is held annually on the date of the death of former Assistant Chief Robert Foster, who died in a structure fire in 1991. Helms said Foster’s death was hard for him personally, as he was there for the fire.
“This date sticks to me because I was here when he was killed in the line of duty,” Helms said. “Just to recognize the fallen at least once a year brings back home that we, too, could suffer the same fate. We learn from past mistakes, and make it better for the firefighters of the future.”