Resources allocated to Sebastian County

$20,000 will support anti-virus efforts

FORT SMITH — Additional resources have been allocated in Sebastian County to help residents in the aftermath of the coronavirus entering the state.

The Sebastian County Quorum Court approved appropriating $20,000 from the county general fund to the county department of emergency management as part of an appropriation ordinance during its meeting on Tuesday. These funds are to go toward purchases pertaining to the coronavirus and the illness caused by it, covid-19.

Emergency Management Director Kendall Beam briefed the justices of the peace on what the department has been doing in light of the pandemic.

“With my background as a paramedic for 30 years, it’s horrible coming to grips with it because a virus is a virus is a virus, and there’s no cure,” Beam said. “It’s going to be one year until a vaccine becomes available.”

Beam said his department’s plan is to support the state Department of Health, the Sebastian County Health Department, Mercy, Baptist-Health and both Fort Smith and Sebastian County EMS.

County Judge David Hudson said the county is working with Fort Smith administrator Carl Geffken, as well as with other counties, specifically Crawford. Emergency-services briefings and many other meetings have also taken place, with Hudson stating there will be more.

“We anticipate we’ll continue to have these collaborations, similar to what we did with the [2019] flood because … as you know, this is a nationwide, regional issue,” Hudson said.