Staff photo / R. Michael Semple Warren Township fire Chief Randy Daniels stands outside the North River Road fire station on Wednesday. Township officials and Daniels said they would like to turn the station into more of a training and meeting center in an attempt to help the department attract more volunteers and part-time firefighters.

WARREN TOWNSHIP — Township and fire officials are not looking only to recruit more part-time and volunteer firefighters for the fire department, but also to use the North River Road station more as a training and meeting center.

Resident Mary Ann Rhodes of Woodside Drive asked township trustees this week what is being done with the fire station.

“It is a great building, and it seems to be just sitting there,” Rhodes said.

She said her parents were charter members of the fire department, including that fire station, which has been used for open houses and other community events in past years.

“I grew up in that neighborhood, so the fire department was there and is sentimental to me and close to my heart. I know that we do not have the volunteer firefighters like we used to back then,” she said.

Trustee Chairman Ed Anthony said the station does have three firefighters assigned to it and the township pays for utilities there.

He said no official decision has been made on the building, but plans are to use it for a training center and meeting location for firefighters.

Fire Chief Randy Daniels said plans are to get more activity at the station to attract more personnel.

“We want to get the place more active than it is and open it to outside agencies and other fire departments for classes,” Daniels said.

He said a fire truck and other equipment are housed at the building.

Daniels said the three firefighters housed at the station aren’t enough.

“The fire service mainly comes from the Leavittsburg station and not that station. The firefighters at that station do respond to calls, but because there are only three, that is not always enough,” he said.

Trustee Kay Anderson said many people stopped at the North River Road station during the annual open houses.

Anthony said the Howland Fire Department at one time used the station for training, but now does most of its training in Howland.

“We are not looking to have a training center like they have in Howland,” Daniels said.

He said the fire department last year responded to 1,114 calls — a slight increase from the 1,044 calls in 2018.

Anthony said a main objective is to get more volunteer firefighters and cadets at the station.

“That is our No. 1 goal. At one time, we had nine to 11 firefighters there, and now we are down to three. We really need to get the interest, and having a training site there will help,” Anthony said.

Many fire departments are struggling to get enough volunteers because of other jobs and family obligations.

Weathersfield officials are in the process of getting funds to create a training center for police and law enforcement in the park area off state Route 46 where the former Mineral Ridge Middle School once stood.

Trustee Steve Gerberry said trustees will travel Feb. 12 with Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber officials to Columbus to meet with state legislators to seek funding from the state capital budget to construct a police training / community center.

The estimated $500,000 building will be used for law enforcement and health professional training, for use by 4-H and other groups, and as a possible library branch.

Gerberry has said a request will be made to the state Legislature to seek any available funds through the annual appropriations in the state capital budget in 2020. He said the township was able to secure $150,000 in the last round of state money.

Township Administrator David Rouan said $125,000 to $200,000 from the township and other funding sources also were put toward the project.

Trustees had approved a contract with Engineering Direct LLC of Columbiana to create architectural and engineering designs for the center at a cost not to exceed $25,000.