Fire chiefs press commissioners on reported 911 regionalization; county says only a study is authorized
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Summary
Fire chiefs raised alarms that Schuylkill County minutes suggest implementation of a 911 consolidation; Northumberland County commissioners said they have only authorized a feasibility study and plan to seek grants to move the local 911 center to a modified building at the county prison.
Doug Funk, chief of the Woireann Area Fire Department, urged the Northumberland County Board of Commissioners on June 3 to explain a Schuylkill County meeting minute that he said described an agreement to share 911 operations between the two counties.
Funk told commissioners that local fire chiefs had been told in April that only a study of regionalization was planned and that no implementation had occurred. He said minutes of a Schuylkill County meeting indicated otherwise and asked, “When did those discussions occur and which fire chiefs were invited to participate?”
A commissioner who spoke during public comment denied any finalized deal and said the county had only agreed to a study. The commissioner said the county had applied for grants to modify a building at the county prison as a potential new 911 center and for funding tied to a Boyers Knob radio tower replacement. The commissioner said, “Nobody has agreed to anything with Schuylkill County. We have agreed to a study. That's all.”
The commissioner described prior regionalization approaches the county has considered and repeated a county position that the county will not transfer its existing radio licenses and system without compensation. The commissioner said county taxpayers paid about $12,500,000 for the current 911 licenses and radio system and that $5,000,000 of that amount remains unpaid; he said the county will not turn over that system for free and will consider partnering only if other counties help pay outstanding obligations.
Funk and other fire chiefs repeated concerns that regionalization without thorough user consultation could degrade interoperability and safety. Funk said emergency services were not given prior notice and requested the county introduce the chiefs to the consultants conducting the feasibility study and to “work diligently to initiate frank discussions with Northumberland County public safety agencies before making any decisions.”
The commissioners responded by offering to schedule a conference call next week with at least one Schuylkill County commissioner so fire chiefs could ask questions directly. One commissioner urged caution about media summaries of other-county meetings, noting a prior instance in which a newspaper’s interpretation differed from the Schuylkill County record. The board also reiterated that it has been exploring multiple study options, including standalone relocation to the prison building, possible discussions with Montour or Columbia counties, and other backup arrangements that would not require surrendering the county’s radio assets.
No formal action to regionalize 911 was taken at the meeting. The commissioners said they will continue the feasibility study, pursue grants to support a move to a revised facility at the county prison if funded, and host a conference call with Schuylkill County commissioners to clarify the minutes cited by the fire chiefs. Commissioners emphasized that any decision would include consultation with emergency-service providers.
