An organized reaction by first responders, community members and local organizations helped to smooth the evacuation of nearly 90 patients and staff after Sunday's bomb threats to Franklin Hospital in Benton, but the cost to taxpayers and businesses is still being tallied.
As hospital patients and elderly people living at Helia Healthcare were evacuated and a special team was combing the hospital for explosives, police blocked off the general area. Three businesses had no choice but to close: Huck's Convenience Store; the Dairy Queen and Fred's.
Huck's reopened around 10 p.m., but the other two businesses were done for the evening, resulting in several hours of lost revenue and employees wages.
"When something like this happens," Benton Fire Chief Shane Cockrum said Monday, "you find out how great our community is and how they come together."
Cockrum said other assisted living care facilities donated vans to move patients. Local ambulance companies also helped in the evacuation efforts.
Benton Mayor Fred Kondritz, who spent the evening at St. Joseph Catholic Church, where patients and seniors were temporarily housed, said everybody did an outstanding job.
"I'm very proud of our first responders," he said.
"Local churches offered assistance, restaurants provided food for the first responders, and people brought food and water for the residents," said Cockrum.
Kondritz also applauded appreciated how quickly the response came from the community, including St. Joseph's, to what could have been a disaster.
"There's nothing like the community coming together to help out," he said.
While the last resident was back in place by 11 p.m., Cockrum was quick to point out that the outcome could have been very different if injuries had occurred or existing health problems had been exacerbated. Even so, it was a costly affair, Cockrum said.
"I don't think people realize the revenue lost by local businesses as well the tax revenue lost to mobilize an effort like this," said Cockrum. "It costs all around. You just hope it doesn't cost somebody their life."
Some of the elderly people evacuated from Helia were hospice patients. Others were Alzheimer's patients.
While the total cost to taxpayers has yet to be figured, Kondritz said there were around 15 employees on overtime Sunday evening during the six-hour ordeal.
"In a crisis you can't worry about dollar bills," he said. "We will just find a way to pay for the overtime." The cost of the ongoing investigation will also have to be figured into the tally.
Some local residents took to social media to voice their disgust.
"This is horrible for these patients/staff," wrote Donna Docherty. "I hope the person/persons are prosecuted! Shame on you!"
Derek S. Johnson, chief operating officer at Franklin Hospital, said the hospital has a record of the threats and authorities are continuing their investigation.
Under Illinois law, making a bomb threat is a Class 3 felony, carrying a potential punishment of two to five years in prison. However, if the threat is treated as a terrorist act, that is a Class X felony with a minimum sentence of 20 years.
The Benton Police Department could not be reached to give an update on the investigation.
