DISPATCH CENTER Proposal prompts concerns

Some residents want the township dispatch center to be retained for safety.
LIBERTY -- Residents told township trustees they're concerned about a proposal that might consolidate the township emergency dispatching center with Trumbull County 911.
Township Administrator Patrick J. Ungaro stressed at trustees' Monday meeting that this is just the beginning of the talks between trustees and the county emergency system.
"This is not a request to rejoin the county system," said Trustee Jack Simon. It is a request to look into the options of consolidating with other communities and research the financial feasibility of the project.
Trustees made no commitment.
Residents expressed their concerns at the meeting about the possibility of Liberty's consolidating its dispatching center with other communities in Trumbull County.
Public opinion leaned toward retaining the township dispatching center for the safety of the community. Community safety, they said, should be more important than saving money.
Proposal
Ungaro had said that county 911 has given him a written proposal that the township would save about $140,000 annually if it joins the county system. Ungaro has said the township pays $250,000 annually for dispatching.
If the call center is relocated and consolidated with another community, the opportunity for miscommunication with the safety officers is heightened, critics said.
Facing financial shortfalls, Liberty has also approached Girard about combining their two dispatching centers. Ungaro said the merger with Girard remains an alternative if money can be saved.