911 Board Approves Contract for TC Use

Effingham County 911 board members Tuesday voted to approve a one-year contract with Effingham City and County for use of county and city telecommunicators by 911.

In recent years, 911 has approved a multi-year agreement. This year, the 911 board's finance committee suggested a one-year agreement at a 3% increase. 911 Secretary/Treasurer Jake Buhnerkempe said the finance committee proposed a one-year agreement until they could better determine how funding would turn out in the wake of the pandemic. 

The 3% increase means that 911 will pay $102,550 each to the City and the County in the coming year.

Also Tuesday, County Sheriff Paul Kuhns reported that Motorola officials say that the communications system will be operational when new 911 emergency services ambulance provider Rural Med takes over on May 1.

911 System Administrator Tina Daniels reported that there is a move to reallocate $5 million in 911 funds to a new mental health hotline. Daniels shared that if the funds aren't available to 911 systems in Illinois, the systems wouldn't be eligible for federal grant funds. More research will be done on the situation.

The 911 board approved a quote of $23,144.37 for furniture in the city police department training room; approved $20 gift cards for city and county telecommunicators to mark Telecommunicators Week this past week; and approved attendance by three 911 officials at a national conference in Louisville, Kentucky in June.