Should Lawrence and Mercer counties share costs on emergency systems?

Staff report

new castle, pa.

Lawrence County commissioners voted unanimously for a study on whether Lawrence and Mercer counties emergency-communications systems could share some costs.

The study is not about a merger, county emergency management director Brian Melcer told the commissioners this week.

Rather, he said, each county’s system would remain autonomous. He said that the counties are looking at sharing some costs, and decided that Mission Critical Partners, a public safety communications consultant, would assess both systems and how to improve and share them.

Lawrence County will enter into the contract for $58,430. The money is coming out of the 911 budget, he said.

Melcer said the study will review ways Lawrence and Mercer counties could share hardware, equipment and infrastructure and anticipate cost savings.

“Which we believe would be significant,” he said.

For example, he said, the counties could share the cost of tower sites near their borders.

Melcer said the study would not preclude exploring options with other counties such as Butler and Beaver.