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Coroner's facility, EMA hazmat access and sheriff storage prompt calls for interim solutions and ARPA funds
Summary
Police, fire and EMA leaders told commissioners the coroner's current building impedes hazmat and emergency access; commissioners discussed moving equipment, using ARPA funds for relocation, and a possible interim storage solution at the county engineer's garage.
Commissioners heard urgent concerns from public safety leaders about access to emergency equipment stored in the county coroner's building and discussed interim relocation options using existing county facilities and previously allocated ARPA funds.
Representatives from police, fire and EMA reported that hazmat crews have had difficulty accessing their equipment because it was stored behind coroner facilities and, in some cases, could not be reached quickly when needed. One speaker summarized the meeting of chiefs: "They wanted to express they're getting pretty antsy with the coroner being in the MA Building," noting delays in retrieving heavy equipment during responses.
Sheriff Wilson told commissioners the sheriff's office maintains boats, a dive-team trailer and pickup trucks at the same site; he said equipment must be secured and rapidly deployable. "It can't be chained up outside where people have access to this equipment," Wilson said, adding that proximity to the lake is important for response times.
Commissioners discussed phased options: move EMA/hazmat equipment into a dedicated coroner-adjacent building (so the coroner can keep the interior space), relocate sheriff equipment to an alternate county-owned facility, and consider modest renovations rather than the large, costly facility some had estimated. Commissioner Malloy said the county had ARPA funds that could be delegated to support an initial move: "We'll absolutely delegate that to the move," Malloy said.
County staff recommended exploring use of the county engineer's garage or other county-owned buildings as interim, climate-controlled, fenced storage with restricted access; sheriff and engineer representatives agreed to inspect available space and assess retrofit costs. Beth Carmichael and a Youngstown Business Incubator representative offered to help identify alternate meeting or storage space in the short term.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to pursue immediate, lower-cost options (including the engineer's garage) to secure sheriff and EMA assets and to use previously allocated ARPA dollars to fund the initial relocation effort while planning any longer-term construction or remodels.
