Bill creating Sangamon County Rescue Squad heads to House

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Sangamon County could soon have a rescue squad to help law enforcement, firefighters, and other first responders.

A bill moving to the Illinois House floor would allow the Sangamon County Board to form, manage, fund, and operate the volunteer rescue squad. Sponsors explained Wednesday the volunteers may help locate missing people and drowning victims, support in fighting fires, and extricate people from unsafe conditions.

The Sangamon County Board would be responsible for providing benefits for rescue squad volunteers who suffer disease, injuries, or death in the line of duty.

"This would be housed entirely within Sangamon County," said Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove). "There would be no additional tax levy and no additional changes to PTELL (property tax extension limitation law) that would change their tax levy authorization. This would come entirely out of the existing Sangamon County budget."

Sponsors said the Sangamon County Rescue Squad may help locate missing people and drowning victims, support in fighting fires, and extricate people from unsafe conditions.

The rescue squad plan was a bipartisan initiative from Senators Steve McClure (R-Springfield) and Doris Turner (D-Springfield) and Representatives Sue Scherer (D-Decatur) and Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville). Didech included their bill language in a completely separate proposal regarding community mental health services to ensure their plan could be approved before the spring session ends.

House Bill 475 passed unanimously out of the House Counties and Townships Committee Wednesday morning. The legislation gained unanimous support in the Senate last week.