|
|
|
On Tuesday evening, the East Peoria City Council approved a measure to strengthen the fire department’s arson investigation team.
The council unanimously approved the appointment of Brian Woolard as a peace officer for arson investigations. Arson investigators are given the same powers as police officers and are authorized to carry firearms during their investigations.
“I wanted to be able to do an arson investigation from beginning to end,” Woolard said in a press release. “The police are very busy, and sometimes it is hard for them to break free to work on an arson case.”
Woolard, who has been with the East Peoria Fire Department for the past 10-and-a-half years, four of which were spent as a fire investigator, said that he takes pride in solving fire investigations.
“I like to figure those (cases) out,” he said. “I’ve seen enough people die in fires and I wanted to be able to help out and solve the case.”
To become eligible to work as an arson investigator, Woolard had to complete a five-week course led by the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
As a part of the course, Woolard spent three and a half weeks learning the law on arson, and another 40-hour week completing the firearm curriculum, which is a mandatory part of the program. Following the completion of the course, Woolard was given the Academic Achievement Award for finishing at the top of his class.
As an arson investigator, Woolard will see arson cases from beginning to end, which includes conducting the investigation, interviews and charging and arresting if needed.
Although East Peoria traditionally does not have a lot of arson cases, Woolard said his position will help augment the police department.
“An arson case can take six to eight months to a year to solve,” Woolard said. “The police department is a small department. It’s hard for the police to break away if needed (to investigate an arson case).”
In other business, the city council...
• approved the payment of $3,237,133.95 in bills.
• approved an agreement with Maurer Stutz Inc. for engineering services for the Summit Drive Project.
The city of East Peoria will pay $94,137 as a part of the project that will include design and right-of-way engineering services.
The Illinois Department of Transportation will also chip in $220,000 and the village of Washington will also pay $11,296 for the project.
• accepted the low bid of $209,846.75 from Hoerr Construction Inc. for the construction of an underground conduit for the Bass Pro Shop parking lot.
• approved the replacement of a bridge and weir at the south clarifier at Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 1. Envirodyne Systems Inc. will provide the replacement for $114,000.
On Tuesday evening, the East Peoria City Council approved a measure to strengthen the fire department’s arson investigation team.
The council unanimously approved the appointment of Brian Woolard as a peace officer for arson investigations. Arson investigators are given the same powers as police officers and are authorized to carry firearms during their investigations.
“I wanted to be able to do an arson investigation from beginning to end,” Woolard said in a press release. “The police are very busy, and sometimes it is hard for them to break free to work on an arson case.”
Woolard, who has been with the East Peoria Fire Department for the past 10-and-a-half years, four of which were spent as a fire investigator, said that he takes pride in solving fire investigations.
“I like to figure those (cases) out,” he said. “I’ve seen enough people die in fires and I wanted to be able to help out and solve the case.”
To become eligible to work as an arson investigator, Woolard had to complete a five-week course led by the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
As a part of the course, Woolard spent three and a half weeks learning the law on arson, and another 40-hour week completing the firearm curriculum, which is a mandatory part of the program. Following the completion of the course, Woolard was given the Academic Achievement Award for finishing at the top of his class.
As an arson investigator, Woolard will see arson cases from beginning to end, which includes conducting the investigation, interviews and charging and arresting if needed.
Although East Peoria traditionally does not have a lot of arson cases, Woolard said his position will help augment the police department.
“An arson case can take six to eight months to a year to solve,” Woolard said. “The police department is a small department. It’s hard for the police to break away if needed (to investigate an arson case).”
In other business, the city council...
• approved the payment of $3,237,133.95 in bills.
• approved an agreement with Maurer Stutz Inc. for engineering services for the Summit Drive Project.
The city of East Peoria will pay $94,137 as a part of the project that will include design and right-of-way engineering services.
The Illinois Department of Transportation will also chip in $220,000 and the village of Washington will also pay $11,296 for the project.
• accepted the low bid of $209,846.75 from Hoerr Construction Inc. for the construction of an underground conduit for the Bass Pro Shop parking lot.
• approved the replacement of a bridge and weir at the south clarifier at Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 1. Envirodyne Systems Inc. will provide the replacement for $114,000.
