Trumbull County 9-1-1 director warns of aging equipment, building utility uncertainty; seeks phased upgrades and contingency plans

Casey McDowell, director of Trumbull County 9-1-1, told commissioners that several critical pieces of dispatch infrastructure are outdated and need replacement, and warned the board that the building hosting the dispatch center (the Insight site) may be at risk if utilities are cut.

On equipment, McDowell described two immediate needs: replacement servers for the Trumbull County 9-1-1 center and a new 9-1-1 recorder. He said the servers have been in service for more than eight years, causing database and performance issues that sometimes produce a “white screen of death” that delays dispatch work. McDowell said the vendor ID Networks has been a long-term CAD/maintenance provider and that the county’s existing maintenance arrangements qualify for a single-source exemption under Ohio law (ORC 307.86(b)). For the recorder, McDowell said the county’s Verint system is no longer supported and needs replacement; the recorder purchase price cited in the meeting was $143,000 and was to be paid from fund 505118.

McDowell also explained a chair-replacement lease: a three-year lease with Thomas Sheldon and Company for 14 chairs at $8,007.79 per year, which provides an annual refresh for heavily used seating in the center. He said officers and staff rely on vendors who provide maintenance and replacement parts proprietary to the systems in use.

Beyond equipment, McDowell described a pressing facilities risk: the current host site (Insight) has been “vacated” and the county has not received consistent utility billing; Insight pays utilities and the county reimburses them, but McDowell said the county hadn’t received some utility invoices for months. He said if utilities were shut off, the dispatch center would have to run on generator power. That is possible but costly, and the county’s existing backup generator is old; McDowell said generators are tested weekly but noted concern over reliability during severe weather.

McDowell and commissioners discussed contingency options: operating from a county EMA (Emergency Management Agency) vehicle that can house dispatch technology for a handful of staff as a temporary measure, using portable generators, or accelerating a move to an alternate permanent facility. Commissioners pressed staff about funding sources — loans, bonds or ARPA money — and whether to hire consultants to prepare phased feasibility and architectural plans. Some commissioners cautioned against repeating past drawn-out planning processes (the dog pound and chestnut building examples were mentioned) and asked for a phased approach: phase 1 to produce schematics and design work to support funding requests, and later phases for construction.

The board and McDowell said they will discuss specifics in a 9-1-1 review board meeting and continue to pursue a phased feasibility study and consultant engagement. Commissioners emphasized urgency: they want a clear proposal within a short timeline and asked staff to provide cost estimates for consultant phases. The county also planned to press Insight for outstanding billing documentation so the county can understand and resolve any arrears.

Quotes

Casey McDowell: "Our servers are over 8 years old... you get the white screen of death, we call it, or basically just sits there and it hovers and and it delays dispatch being able to do their job properly."

Ending

The commissioners asked staff to accelerate a plan: provide feasibility study phases and estimated consultant costs, collect outstanding utility billing from Insight, and report back at follow-up meetings. The board signaled it intends to prioritize dispatch reliability and contingency readiness while pursuing funding sources.