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New Ordinance Needed: AgencyCivil Defense Jeopardizedsaid he plans to meet with Eisele early next week.By Terry HilligOf the IntelligencerEdwanfsville’s civil defense program ip in jeopardy, according to Mayor Clyde Har-tung.Hartung told the City Council this week the city is behind on planning and. paperwork necessary 'to* «omply with re-qurremten%,©f p new state law.The Illinois Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Act, adopted by the General Assembly last year, repealed existing■civil defense legislation and required state and local civil defense agencies to be replaced with Emergency Services andDisaster Agencies. -According to William Eisele, regional mutual aid coordinator for the state agency, the city, if it plans to continue an emergency services and disaster program, must adopt an ordinance changing the name -of the city agency and anake other changes required by the,new law.“The present director has not done this,” said Eisele. The city must begin work on an updated emergency preparedness plan which imost other municipalities in the area have completed, he said.Eisele said there are several problems with the city's program. There should be better coordination, between the director .and other city officials such as the fire chief, police chief ■pnd director cf public works, he said.The city agency should have its headquarters in city hall, even if it is only a desk, according to Eisele. The agencyis presently headquartered under the bandstand in LeClaire Lake Park.The city program received low ratings in almost every element of its program in an evaluation by the state agency.John W. Hair, Edwardsville civil defense director for the past 18 years, told the Intelligencer he is “pretty sure we can straighten things out. HeHair said the city agency has had differences with the state agency m the past which have been worked out.Eisele said it Is up to city officials if Edwardsville is to continue to have its own agency.“If the city doesn’t want to participate, that's its prerogative,” he said. Law requires cities of 10,000 population or more to have their own program, but an exception could be made, according to Eisele.But, he said, there are no cities of 10,000 or more in the seven-county region he works in which do not have their ov;n programs.Should the city bow out, the Madison County agency would take over disaster planning for the city, Eisele said.Mayor Hartung said he has no intention of letting the city lose its own program“We want it to continue,” said Hartung “We need a local eivii defense agency. I don’t want the county telling us what to do.”Hartung said he will do his best to see the requirements are met.“We will get it done somehow,” he said.Chicago (AP) WL ///MMMVl *s tolling the House Motor Ve-
Newspaper Details
Edwardsville Intelligencer
Edwardsville, Illinois, US
Sat, Feb 07, 1976
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Hayner P.
IL, USA 17 Jun 2022
Other Publications Near Edwardsville, Illinois
Madison County Courier
The Madison County Courier
Edwardsville Intelligencer
