The *Daily Herald* recently published an article discussing a proposal by a Batavia city councilman that suggests the Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) should come under the jurisdiction of the fire department. The idea was put forward by a city council committee, which believes that placing ESDA under the fire chief’s supervision would improve coordination and efficiency.
Jeff Glaser, the current ESDA director, has expressed strong opposition to the plan. He has been leading the agency for 35 years as a part-time employee, and the rest of the team consists of volunteers. Councilman McGrath, who supports the proposal, argues that the town has grown significantly over the years, and the fire department now has more expertise and resources than in the past. He also notes that the mayor lacks the time and professional background needed to effectively oversee ESDA. According to McGrath, the ESDA director should be directly supervised, follow city financial policies, manage equipment, and could be terminated if not performing well.
Under the proposed structure, the fire chief would serve as the ESDA coordinator, with an ESDA manager reporting to him. Volunteers would then report to the ESDA manager. Whether the manager is a paid employee or not would be up to the city council. Notably, the 2013 budget does not include funding for a full-time ESDA worker, unlike previous years when $10,000 was allocated. This year’s ESDA budget totals $29,183, with $17,000 designated for installing a tornado siren near Louise White Elementary School.
Another key argument in favor of the change comes from Schielke, who believes that reorganizing ESDA under the fire department could help the agency gain accreditation from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. With state accreditation, Batavia would become eligible for federal grants from the Department of Homeland Security and could purchase new equipment. Currently, two of ESDA’s vehicles are over 60 years old, and the last new vehicle acquired from the city was a Jeep Cherokee in 1995, which is still in use.
ESDA is responsible for maintaining the city’s outdoor weather sirens, assisting with scene control during emergencies such as fires, traffic accidents, and large public events like the July 4th fireworks display. The agency also provides lighting for rescues, operates three boats for water and ice rescues, and maintains an ambulance. One of the Army trucks has been modified to fight grass fires, and ESDA is in charge of storing disaster supplies and managing the city hall shelter during emergencies.
You can read the full article here.
Thanks, Dennis.
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