Stark breaks ground on E911 center

By JOHN A. BALLENTINE
For The Prairie News

TOULON – It has been over 20 years in the making, but Stark County – which is the last of 102 Illinois counties to receive E911 service – will begin constructing a new E911 Service Communications Center in Toulon.

Officials from Stark and Peoria counties held a groundreaking last Friday for the center, which will be attached and east of the existing jail building. The two counties have entered an agreement on E911 service.

In addition, a new 180-foot radio tower will be installed to better transmit and receive emergency calls that the new center will handle.

According to Illinois Statewide E911 Administrator Cindy Barbera-Brelle, “In June 2022, the counties of Peoria and Stark entered into a consolidation to provide Stark County with E911 service. Stark County Sheriff Steve Sloan and State’ Attorney Caroline Borden-Campion worked together to meet with Peoria County officials to obtain a $2.4 million grant to pay for the new emergency center.”

In 2015 legislation was passed that mandated in 2016 the E911 system would be implemented by every county in Illinois. Stark County attempted to obtain E911 service with four other counties before Peoria County agreed to help Stark County.

Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2023 and be done in 2024.