911 MERGER Task force member wonders about Trumbull's sincerity

Two county officials said the merger is still alive but is a lower priority.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Mahoning County member of a task force asked to look into merging emergency 911 services has raised questions about whether Trumbull officials are serious about the idea.
The task force was appointed to investigate whether services for Mahoning County, the city of Youngstown and Trumbull County could be merged.
Atty. David C. Comstock Jr., fire chief for the Western Reserve Joint Fire District, which serves the village of Poland and Poland Township, wrote to Trumbull County commissioners last week asking for clarification.
National search
Comstock wrote that he recently learned that Trumbull officials have turned to a private firm to conduct a national search for its next 911 director to replace Tim Gladis, whom the commissioners fired.
He said it seemed to him that if someone "moves to Trumbull County to oversee the 911 center, it is unlikely that that individual will be in favor of a merger in which there is the risk of a job loss.
"I do not believe that merger discussions can realistically move forward if a job position offer is made," he wrote.
He added that he did not intend to waste his time or the time of others "if [Trumbull County] is not serious about discussing the possibility of a merger."
The task force is scheduled to meet again at 9 a.m. Oct. 11, and Comstock said he has yet to receive data about Trumbull County's 911 operations. "I would urge you to have the interim director provide that information to the committee as quickly as possible," Comstock said.
Gladis was one of Trumbull's representatives on the task force. A representative from the Warren Police Department and Howland Township Administrator Darlene St. George are the others.
Comstock wrote a letter to the commissioners in July stating that the firing of Gladis could prove "extremely problematic" for the task force because Gladis was the official assigned to prepare Trumbull County's data.
Higher priority
Trumbull Commissioner Paul Heltzel said the hiring of a director to solidify operations at the 911 center is a higher priority right now than the merger.
"Whether it happens or not, we have to make sure we are taking care of our 911 operation," he said. He added that he didn't believe the hiring of a Trumbull 911 director would eliminate the possibility of a merger.
St. George said the task force meeting she attended included "very broad discussions" that suggested the process of merging would not be quick or inexpensive.
As a result, she thought Trumbull needed to move ahead with filling its vacancy. "To me, getting a new director is important, but it doesn't mean I am not interested in pursuing" the merger, she said.
She said she hopes the next director will be able to see the "big picture" enough to provide leadership into a possible merger.
She said a lot of time and money has been spent in Trumbull to teach people about calling 911. That effort cannot be compromised by delaying the hiring of a new director, she added.