Published on May 19, 2026 3:11 pm
Last Updated on May 19, 2026 3:12 pm
Since the 1990s, a 911 system has operated in Effingham County. The decision was made to have dispatching points at the County Jail and at the city police station, with each serving as a backup point for the other.
Since that time, a concern has been that the close proximity of one dispatching point to the other could be a problem in the event of a natural disaster or some similar occurrence.
That prompted Effingham Fire Chief Brant Yochum, a member of the 911 Board, to ask whether a portable system should be developed in case of an emergency. A committee made up of Yochum, City EMA Coordinator Larry Thies, Effingham Police Chief Kurt Davis, and another 911 Board member Johnathan Paholke of E-Environmental Solutions will begin research into the matter. No deadline was set for the research to be completed. The committee members will check with other counties that have a portable system, research the potential cost of a system, and check into whether grant funding to cover a portion of the cost of such a system is a possibility.
The 911 Board approved the purchase of a program known as Rapid SOS Harmony. The system, which will cost $66,000 over five years, will provide automatic translation when 911 calls are received from non-English speaking people. More than 100 languages are available in the system.
The Board also received information that an updated siren test is now in place in the county P-SAP, and the upgrade will be in place in the city P-SAP on Thursday. That means the upgrade will be ready for the monthly siren test in June.
