911 Board Hears About Tower Network

Effingham County 911 Board members got information Tuesday on a system of towers designed to improve communications between the county's fire protection districts.

Chris Overbeck, who works for Global Technical Systems but also serves as chief of the Montrose Fire Protection District, said leases have been returned signed by the Beecher City, Teutopolis and Edgewood districts. Those districts have locked in the sites for their towers. Overbeck said he can't order frequencies for the tower sites until their locations are finalized. Teutopolis Fire District Chief Tim McMahon has taken the lead in getting the system in place. McMahon has indicated he will stay in touch with representatives of the other districts to get the tower leases secured.

Assuming the siting goes well and the leases are signed soon, Overbeck estimated the county tower system will be completed by mid-2024. A system of towers being finalized for the city of Effingham should be in place by the end of 2023.

The 911 Board also asked about the repairs needed to address damage done by a mid-July lightning strike. The damage identified so far is estimated at $9,000, but that amount is expected to go up.

Members also asked for a timeline on the receipt of a generator to replace one in place since the start of the 911 system in the county. The generator, which was ordered months ago, is set to be shipped on December 6. Board members knew at the time the order was placed that it would be a long time before the generator would arrive.