New year brings changes at Anna police, fire station
<p class="p1">The start of a new year was accompanied by several changes for the Anna police and fire departments.</p><p class="p1">One notable change for the public involves the way people contact the Anna police and fire station.</p><p class="p1">Until early January, when callers contacted the station by dialing 833-8571, responses were handled in person, often by a part-time firefighter who was on duty.</p><p class="p1">On Jan. 6, calls began going through the Union County Sheriff's Office. </p><p class="p1">When the call is answered, those making the call hear an automated response system offering a variety of options.</p><p class="p1">Anna Police Chief Scott Rice emphasized that emergency calls still are made through the local 911 system.</p><p class="p1">The change in communication is the result of lengthy negotiations which involved city and county officials. </p><p class="p1">As a result of the negotiations, Anna entered into an agreement to pay the county $30,000 a year for the communication service. The county's dispatch system was already handling emergency calls.</p><p class="p1">Gary Rider, who is serving as the interim chief of the fire department, said that the station will maintain regular hours: from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.</p><p class="p1">And while there may not be a person at the station around the clock, emergency calls will still be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rider said he expects the new schedule to have a minimal impact on the response time for emergency calls, especially since Anna's firefighting personnel live in, or close to, the community.</p><p class="p1">Rider said that he hopes that with the change in place, the fire department will have the resources to provide services it could not offer in the past.</p><p class="p1">Safety education in the community could be one of the services provided by the fire department. </p><p class="p1">The fire department has emphasized fire safety with programs which are made available to children in the community. Such programs could be expanded to include assisting senior citizens in the community. Code enforcement also is seen as another service which could be provided.</p><p class="p1">At this time, Rider is the lone full-time employee in the fire department. The department has five part-time employees and 14 paid, on-call firefighters.</p><p class="p1">The change in communication through the sheriff's office also will give immediate access to the police department to a statewide Law Enforcement Agencies Data System, LEADS, which is a critical law enforcement database. </p><p class="p1">The police department is in the process of installing tablet-style computers in its vehicles to further its ability to serve the community.</p><p class="p1">Both Rider and Rice said they see the new system as a work in progress. The system can be reviewed and changes can be made.</p>