One Central Illinois fire department is considering the implementation of fees for one of its services.
The Village of Savoy is set to vote on a new ordinance that would specifically affect non-emergency calls at assisted living facilities within the village. The non-emergency service would primarily be lift assistance. Village President John Brown said that the Savoy Fire Department has already responded to over 100 of these non-emergency calls this year — a number they hope to limit in 2024. Eddie Bain, the department’s Public Information Officer, explained that several reasons prompted this decision, including being short-staffed on equipment. “We’d like to keep that equipment 100% available for emergency responses,” Bain said.