Funds Earmarked for New Countywide Radio System for Fire Departments (ADDING LAYOUT MAP)

(HERE IS A LAYOUT OF HOW THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WOULD COVER THE COUNTY)

The Effingham County Board's ARPA Commitee Tuesday voted to earmark the full amount needed to pay for a countywide radio system that would serve all fire departments in the county.

The cost of the system is projected at $495,600. The system would cover eight sites...Effingham, Teutopolis, Altamont, Beecher City, Edgewood, Watson, Shumway and Dieterich. This beefed-up system would use radio towers, water towers and grain elevators throughout the county for the radio sites. 

Teutopolis Fire Chief Tim McMahon and Tri-County Fire Chief Doug Ray at Beecher City spoke for the group of chiefs present at Tuesday's meeting. The matter of the radio system was discussed last month and the chiefs felt that 10 sites would be needed then, but a radio site study conducted since that time now indicates that eight sites would do the job.

The issue of countywide coverage for fire companies has been around for years, and it's thought that a network of radio sites will address problems now experienced in rural areas of the county. McMahon and Ray said there are times when coverage a half-mile away is not acceptable.

With the ARPA committee earmarking the full amount of funds, the chiefs will now go back to the 911 Board and see what level of funding that agency can provide. Once that is finalized, it will be back to the county board to see whether any balance will be covered from the earmarked funds.

The ARPA committee also voted to earmark $141,471 for the cost of new cooling towers on the county courts building.

It was also decided to disband the ARPA committee, and to transfer the ARPA funds not earmarked or allocated to be overseen by the county board's tax and finance committee.