By Marie Adamick
Effingham Daily News
EFFINGHAM, Ill. — A focus group for emergency services on Monday packed the Effingham City Council chambers with police officers, firefighters, the dive team and more emergency response team members. A lengthy discussion ensued about the various services and challenges each emergency service has.
“This planning process that we’re going through, both for emergency services and then the other components of the city as well, is really essential to planning for the next several years for our city,” said Deputy City Administrator Dennis Presley.
The biggest need for emergency services is more people, specifically in the police department. The police need non-sworn officers to help organize, manage and regulate data and technology. The department currently has six automatic license plate readers to look for things like stolen vehicles, violent felons and missing people. They also have body camera footage they need help managing and organizing from whenever a police officer is acting during “official capacity as a police officer,” according to Effingham Police Chief Jason McFarland.
However, according to the Comprehensive Plan survey results, roughly 60% of people believe the city should be spending the same amount of money on the police department. Twenty-three percent of residents believe the city should spend more.
The Effingham Fire Department communicated their needs and future goals at the meeting, as well. These include a third fire station on the north side of the city, a new training facility, replacement plans for new apparatus and equipment (like radios and extrication tools), upgrades/expansion to Station 1, new services (like EMS coverage and a hazmat team) and more staffing.
Despite this, survey results show that roughly 70% of both residents and non-residents want to spend the same amount of money on the fire department. Twenty-one percent of residents and 22% of non-residents want to spend more money on the fire department.
“These ideas will be massaged into goals, objectives and action steps to be brought before the Steering Committee for further review,” said Chastain & Associates LLC urban planner Stephanie Brown. “The focus group will also be sent drafts of these goals to be reviewed and commented upon prior to be reviewed by the Council and eventually adopted by Council in the final Comprehensive Plan update.”
The next focus group will meet on Monday, Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in Effingham City Hall located at 201 East Jefferson Avenue to focus on transportation and mobility in Effingham.
“There’s always room for improvement, and that’s what we’re looking to do,” said Miller.
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