Butler County EMA director warns Trenton council termination would weaken regional emergency response

Jim Bolen, director of the Butler County Emergency Management Agency, told the Trenton City Council on March 6 that two Butler County commissioners have proposed terminating the county's existing intergovernmental emergency management agreement and moving to a county-run program without presenting a plan for services or funding.

Bolen said the current agreement has governed a countywide emergency-management service for more than 50 years, overseen by a 15-member executive board and supported by contributions from local jurisdictions. He said the agency operates a Type 1 hazardous-materials team and a technical-rescue team, provides 24/7 duty-officer support, helps run the county emergency operations center during disasters, and assists residents with FEMA and other disaster-relief applications.

The director said those specialized capabilities run on roughly $36,000 a year and rely on payroll-hour commitments and partnerships with local fire departments. "We operate a type 1 hazmat team ... on $36,000 a year," Bolen said. He warned that the commissioners have not proposed who would provide services if the agreement is ended, how a replacement program would be funded, or whether it would match current capabilities.

Council members responded that they did not want the service to be discontinued without an alternative. Multiple members urged staff to prepare a formal resolution expressing the council's displeasure and requesting the county provide details before ending the agreement. City Manager Nichols and others agreed to follow up with staff to draft a resolution for council consideration.

The council did not adopt a formal resolution at the March 6 meeting; rather, members instructed staff and the city solicitor to draft language for a future meeting. Bolen encouraged written input to the county commissioners from local jurisdictions and residents. He also said the intergovernmental agreements auto-renew on Jan. 1 each year and that, under current terms, the existing agency would remain in place through Dec. 31 of the current contract year unless the commissioners enact termination steps.

The presentation included specific operational claims and historical examples Bolen cited, including regional deployments to incidents outside the county and response to a tornado in May of the previous year. Council members who spoke during the exchange included Chief Carr and Captain Perkins (briefly during Q&A) and several council members who expressed support for keeping the current service in place. The council directed staff to draft a resolution; no formal vote on that resolution occurred at this meeting.

Bolen's full remarks described the agency's staffing experience and the role the executive board plays as a buffer against political influence in emergency allocations. "Our board understands the importance of making sure that our services are used in an equitable and fair manner based upon the need," he said.

The matter is likely to return to council after staff drafts the proposed resolution and the city decides whether to submit formal comments to the Butler County commissioners.