MAHONING COUNTY Commissioners look to buy more emergency equipment

The equipment will be bought with federal homeland security funds.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County is looking to buy two pieces of equipment to better enable authorities to handle emergencies and disaster situations.
County commissioners are accepting bids for a bomb container vessel, to be used by the Youngstown police department's bomb squad, and for a mobile command post vehicle to be used by the county emergency management agency.
Walter Duzzny, EMA director, said both items will be bought with funds from Homeland Security grants provided by the federal government.
Though the bomb squad is based in Youngstown, it serves Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties, so the bomb containment vessel is a regional project, Duzzny said.
"We all get together now and then to upgrade their equipment," he said.
Duzzny said the federal government set aside a pot of money for regional homeland security projects like this one. Mahoning is the lead county, so is handling the bids.
About the equipment
The box-style device will attach to the back of a trailer and be used to carry an explosive device away from the place where it's found, to a remote location where it can be detonated.
Duzzny said if the explosive device detonates while it's being transported, the device should contain it and prevent damage to the transport vehicle or any surrounding property.
He said the mobile command post will replace the EMA's current vehicle, which is 20 years old and has grown outdated.
The new one will be about 38 feet long and contain conference and communication facilities, as well as upgraded features like satellite connections and cellular uplinks.
"That will enable us to take this vehicle right to the scene of an emergency," Duzzny said. "It's just going to have much more sophisticated systems than we have right now."
Duzzny said each item is expected to cost about $150,000, and be available in two to three months.
bjackson@vindy.com