A big expense is on the horizon for Effingham County as the emergency phone system continues to age. 911 Board Chairman Nick Althoff said that it was time for the county to start looking for a new telephone system at Tuesday’s monthly meeting. “It’s something we need to be abreast of,” Althoff said. “Because we are having problems in the PSAPs [public-safety answering point].”
The county’s current 911 phone system, which was purchased in 2007, is nearing ten years of 24/7 usage. According to Althoff, because the system is no longer being manufactured parts are becoming more expensive. “Parts are going to start to become a big issue,” Althoff said. “There’s a possibility that we we don’t have enough [parts] on hand to keep it up.”
“We don’t want to get blindsided,” said Effingham County Sheriff Dave Mahon. The county was considering updating their phone system last year, along with their radio system, but held off due to budget uncertainty.
In other action, the board voted to elect County Board member Dave Campbell as the new vice-chairman, replacing Mike DePoister, and voted to elect Effingham Police Chief Jeff Fuesting as Secretary Treasurer.