Illinois handing out $90K for emergency communications upgrades

SPRINGFIELD— Illinois officials are handing out $10,000 grants to nine emergency-response agencies to upgrade their communications equipment.

Illinois Emergency Management Agency Director Jonathon Monken (MUN’-kihn) says the money will pay for maintaining equipment that helps different agencies communicate with one another. That equipment was purchased with federal funds.

Monken says one of the things hampering rescue efforts in New York City after the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, was the inability of agencies to electronically communicate on different types of equipment.

The grant money comes from the Sept. 11th Fund. It’s supported by part of the fee for each “America Remembers” Illinois license plate purchased.

Agencies in the cities of Champaign, Chicago, Marion, Springfield; and the counties of Crawford, DuPage, St. Clair, Will and Winnebago will benefit.