MAHONING COUNTY 911 review set to start

County commissioners are expected to vote on the proposed contract Thursday.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County officials are ready to proceed with the long-awaited overhaul of the county's 911 system.
Commissioners are expected to sign a contract this week with RCC Consultants of Edwardsville, Ill. The company will do an extensive review of all radio systems used in the county and make recommendations on how to improve the system.
Commissioners and a selection committee of 911 system users negotiated the pact. The same committee helped with screening applicants and selecting the consultant.
The committee and commissioners were to outline the contract at a news conference today, and commissioners are expected to vote on it Thursday.
Assessment: David Comstock Jr., selection committee chairman, said the contract calls for a complete survey of all the county's emergency radio systems, something that has never been done before. Comstock is chief of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District, which covers Poland village and township.
County Administrator Gary Kubic said he's not sure how many radio systems are being used. He said the analysis will include recommendations for integrating all the systems, though, including police, fire, ambulance and school systems.
"There is a whole host of positive outcomes from having such a master plan in place," he said.
Commissioners have earmarked $1 million to pay for the improvements. RCC's fee is included in that amount.
The company will be paid $326,449, said James Fortunato, county purchasing director. Comstock said commissioners should recoup the investment through savings the consultant will negotiate in subsequent contracts for equipment purchases.
RCC will look at the systems that are in place, interview police and fire officials about their current and future needs and recommend ways to improve the system, Comstock said. The assessment should take about six months.
"I would prefer that it not be rushed," Comstock said. "It's so important a task, and it needs to be done properly."
Moving center? One of the consultant's primary goals will be to determine whether the county's 911 dispatching center should be relocated from the county administration building to the justice center or into a stand-alone building, Comstock said.
The center's location became a bone of contention last year when Sheriff Randall Wellington suggested that it be moved to the jail. There is a room there that was built to house the 911 center, but it was never located there.
Rural police chiefs balked at having the center in the jail, fearing they would not receive the same service they get now from independent dispatchers hired by commissioners.
Commissioners assured them, though, that if the center moved to the jail, it would still be operated by their office, not the sheriff.
Commissioners voted earlier this year to move the dispatching center to the jail but have held off until after the consultant's recommendations are in. They want to do the equipment overhaul in conjunction with the move.
Criticism: The upgrading is in response to criticism leveled last year by Comstock and other police and fire department chiefs. They said the system is inadequate and needs to be expanded so fire and ambulance crews can have their own radio frequencies instead of having to compete with police for air time.
They also said there are too many places in the county where radio signals are too weak for officers in the field to communicate with the dispatching center.
Part of the overhaul will be determining how many more towers are needed to enhance the signal and where they should be placed. RCC also will recommend new equipment to replace the aging system.
bjackson@vindy.com