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WARREN -- The Trumbull County 911 Center's director said all but one employee is back to work and staffing is returning to normal following a spike in COVID-19 cases and quarantines.
That spike had left the center scrambling to fill shifts with those dispatchers able to report to work.
Director Ernie Cook said just one staff member is still out, in quarantine because of a family member.
Cook thanked dispatch centers in Niles and Lordstown for assisting the Trumbull facility while staffing shortages plagued the center. In November, 12 dispatchers, about a third of the staff, were out because of a positive test or in quarantine due to possible exposure.
"Thankfully, we are almost all back to work. We are back to full shifts," Cook said.
Overtime costs are still up because seven of the dispatchers are new hires and still in training, Cook said.
NEW BUILDING
Also on Monday, Cook spoke to county commissioners about the possibility of building a new 911 dispatching center behind the Trumbull County Emergency Management building on North River Road and the county engineer building.
A cost to construct a new building has not yet been determined, but the county already owns the property, Cook said.
He also said the property where the 70-year-old dispatch center, once used as a morgue and tuberculosis wing, on Howland Wilson Road next to Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, would likely sell well and help pay for the new construction.
Cook said the center's present building does not meet national fire prevention building codes, FEMA threat and security guidelines or the Department of Defense's facilities criteria. Also, it should be certified to withstand high winds, Cook said.
"In addition to limited space and a difficult design, we constantly have to put money into maintaining the building -- the roof, the sidewalk, the boiler, the generator is 26 years old and needs replaced. The building doesn't meet building standards, and isn't hardened to withstand winds of a certain speed. We are vulnerable here. There is nothing to protect the power, gas and fiber lines out front," Cook said.
Cook said there is a generator with enough capacity at the EMA building to handle the center's needs.
"We're really in the preliminary stages of those talks," county Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa said. "We certainly recognize the challenges and limitations that we face with our current 911 facility. The age and the condition of the building really don't make it conducive to renovate, so we would probably look at all of our alternatives. I think from a practical and financial perspective, it makes sense to at least consider our property on North River Road either as an addition to our existing EMA building or a stand alone structure."
Cook said he is working with Mike Sliwinski, head of the county's building department, and Rich Jackson, director of human resources, on the idea for a new facility. A plan with drawings and a cost estimate is expected soon, Cook said.
He doesn't know how the building will be paid for yet, but the sale of the property would cover some of it, and the state may raise the fees wireless phone owners pay.
Now, the state collects 25 cents for a wireless number in each monthly bill, far lower than other states such as Pennsylvania that charge users $1.65 per device.
Even a 25 cent increase would be a significant bump and help pay the costs, Cook said. The fees account for about $417,000 of the center's $3.635 million annual budget.
The center receives nearly $1.83 million from the county's general fund, and $1.12 million from communities that utilize the center. While costs have gone up over the years for payroll, benefits and equipment upgrades, revenue has been stagnant for five years, Cook said. He is reluctant to ask member communities to pay more than they are now.