Northeast Ohio governments are not waiting for the second round of EfficientGovNow to start in order to collaborate.
In addition to Youngstown and Girard working together on a land deal that might bring hundreds of jobs to the Mahoning Valley, WKBN reported recently that Mahoning County is taking steps toward consolidating its 911 emergency services.
County Commissioners, the 911 Committee, as well as fire, police and EMS personnel from throughout the county met recently to discuss the creation of a common radio communications system as a way of establishing communication with all emergency radio systems in the county. The four major services involved include Mahoning County Dispatch, Boardman Township, Austintown Township and the City of Youngstown.
“We’re looking for an agreement amongst the major players to say we’re going after the funds, and we’re going to put together the plan, and we’re going to take ownership and set up the rules of governance, the vision and the funding to go forward,” said Barry Stock from Barry Stock Consulting Associates.
If an agreement is reached, the next step would be for the county to seek funds from the state and federal government for a common radio system.
It is encouraging to see the region’s governments seeking collaborations and actively looking to find ways to operate more efficiently. Keep checking the EfficientGovNow blog for more stories of Northeast Ohio government collaboration, and news on the second round of EfficientGovNow.