According to the ETSB board, it is
time to make a final change in the operation and replace or upgrade
aging equipment.
The recommendation is fully supported
by the Lincoln City Council, the Logan County Board, Lincoln Police
Chief Rich Montcalm and Sheriff Steve Nichols.
On March 16 the voters of Logan
County will be asked to approve a $1.95 surcharge on their
residential phone bill. This is an increase of $1.10 from the 85
cents currently charged on all landlines.
The purpose of this referendum is to
enable the consolidation of the Communication Center, place it under
the control and operation of the Logan County Emergency Telephone
System Board, and make needed improvements to equipment. This
consolidation will enhance the efficiency of the 9-1-1 services
provided to the residents of Logan County.
If the referendum is passed, the
Logan County ETSB intends to implement the following:
1. Continued improvement of emergency
dispatch services to the citizens of Logan County, including police,
fire, rescue, medical and other emergency functions
2. Reorganization of the
Communication Room
a. One leadership: ETSB
b. No distinction will be made
between city and county 9-1-1 calls. All calls will be handled
efficiently and professionally.
c. All 9-1-1 dispatchers will receive
the same training and follow the same procedure.
3. Benefits to the professional
emergency communicators
a. Equalized compensation and
benefits
4. Complete civilian
dispatch
a. Allows current sworn officers to
be returned to law enforcement duties
5. Enable the county sheriff and
Lincoln police chief to focus on law enforcement issues, while the
ETSB focuses on dispatch duties as required by local, state and
federal law.
6. Improvement of dispatching
procedures to keep up with higher level of demands for public safety
in partnership with homeland security
7. Replacement of antiquated
equipment that is becoming difficult and costly to
maintain
a. Avoid potential reduction in
efficiency while waiting for hard-to-find parts.
b. Avoid specialized parts and labor
that are becoming more expensive as the parts become more
scarce.
Some questions
and answers
1. What will the extra $1.10
surcharge provide?
a. ETSB will pay for the operation of
the Communication Room in partnership with the county of Logan and
the city of Lincoln.
b. The extra funding will facilitate
the upgrade and enhancement of the Communication Room's equipment.
The current aging equipment was installed in 1993.
c. The extra funding will provide
uniform 9-1-1 dispatcher training in order to enhance the efficiency
of the Communication Room.
[to
top of second column in this article]
|
2. How long has it been since ETSB
asked for an increase of the 9-1-1 surcharge?
ETSB has never requested an increase
since its inception. The 9-1-1 surcharge began in May
1990.
3. If passed, when will consolidation
occur?
If passed, ETSB will assume
management May 2004.
4. Do the sheriff of Logan County and
the Lincoln city chief of police support this
proposition?
YES
Take a close look at the following
figures, which provide a comparative view. These are counties that
are approximately the same size or smaller than Logan.
| County |
Population |
Surcharge |
| Bureau |
35,503 |
$1.95 |
| Christian |
35,572 |
2.00 |
| DeWitt |
16,781 |
1.25 |
| Edgar |
19,595 |
2.00 |
| Effingham |
34,264 |
2.75 |
| Franklin |
39,018 |
1.50 |
| Fulton |
38,250 |
1.85 |
| Grundy |
37,535 |
1.80 |
| Livingston |
39,678 |
1.50 |
| Logan |
31,183 |
.85 |
| Massac |
15,000 |
1.95 |
| Menard |
14,000 |
3.25 |
| McDonough |
32,913 |
1.40 |
| Montgomery |
30,652 |
2.00 |
| Morgan
|
36,436 |
1.00 |
|
(also planning to increase their
rates) |
| Piatt |
15,696 |
1.95 |
| Randolph |
33,893 |
.98 |
| Williamson |
43,000 |
1.55 |
| Woodford |
35,469 |
1.25 |
Figures for counties close to us with
significantly larger populations:
| Champaign |
168,473 |
$1.50 |
| Knox |
56,289 |
1.25 |
| Macon |
133,000 |
.90 |
| McLean |
140,000 |
1.25 |
| Sangamon |
186,000 |
.75 |
| Peoria |
185,000 |
.80 |
| Tazewell |
141,200 |
.80 |
The board suggests that you think of
the difference in technology that you can see in your own home. You
probably don't have the same TV, radio, computer or stereo that you
had 15 years ago.
Now think if you need help in an
emergency. You want the best for you and yours, don't
you?
[Jan
Youngquist]
|
