Commissioners OK consolidation of 911 dispatching operations

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners this morning approved a resolution establishing a regional council of governments for consolidation of 911 dispatching operations of the county with those of Austintown and Boardman townships.

Under the agreement, which was also approved Monday by Boardman Township trustees, the county will close its 911 answering point in the county administration building in downtown Youngstown; and Austintown and Boardman will absorb up to six county dispatchers each into their dispatching centers.

The move will reduce from nine to eight the number of 911 answering points in the county.

The transition is happening in part because the state will fund only three 911 answering points per county beginning in 2018 out of cellular phone 911 fees.

The operation of, and appointment of dispatchers for, the county’s 911 answering point is under the jurisdiction of County Sheriff Jerry Greene.

The commissioners also enacted a related resolution to buy law enforcement communications equipment through the state purchasing program and enter into a 10-year communication system lease agreement with Motorola Solutions Inc.

The commissioners had earlier approved a $299,943 grant application for federal monies for communications equipment, including portable radios to be issued to sheriff’s deputies, which would make the sheriff’s radio system compatible with that of Austintown and Boardman police.