WARREN — The chairman of the Emergency Management Agency board emphatically stated during Wednesday’s commissioners meeting that the county does not need to provide any money to move the agency from its North River Road home because its members are willing to stay at that location.

However, something must be done with the Trumbull County coroner’s office and morgue, which moved into 640 North River Road in 2024 because of the closure of Insight Medical Center in Warren.

Trumbull County commissioners and the EMA board, at the time, agreed to temporarily move the coroner’s office and morgue into the EMA building until this past May. As the commissioners sought to find a permanent home for the coroner’s office, EMA Director John Hickey suggested the agency could be moved to a former fire station at 773 Everett Hull Road in Cortland.

The estimated cost of the move would be approximately $300,000.

Edward Anthony, chairman of the board of the Emergency Management Agency, on Wednesday bristled at the allegation by Commissioner Tony Bernard that he was tired of people coming to the commissioners and asking for money.

“We are not asking for this money,” Anthony said. “We, over the years, busted our butts with grants, saving money and then invested in that building immensely. It is state of the art. We got the building to where we want.

“If you want to leave us where we are, then leave us where we are,” he said. “We are very, very content being there. We can’t continue down this avenue.”

Anthony noted the EMA board was gracious in allowing the coroner to move into its facility during a difficult time for the county.

“The old (commissioner) board said at the very latest, the coroner would be there until May,” he continued. “We have been patient. It has come to a point now that the executive board wants a plan in place, if this money is not allowed to be appropriated from the ARP (American Rescue Plan) balance from purchase of the (EMA) command vehicle.”

Bristol fire Chief Steve Craiger, a member of the Fire Chiefs Association, suggested the coroner’s office and the EMA office cannot continue to co-exist.

“During COVID, there were about 20 fire chiefs in there every day issuing much needed PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) and other equipment every day,” he said. “If something were to happen today, we could not function.”

“We were reluctant to put the coroner there, but we understood the emergency,” Craiger said. “But this is beyond temporary.”

Kevin Kuriatnyk, Trumbull County HazMat chief, complemented the county in reacting to a foul odor in its administration building last Friday by shutting it down and addressing the problem.

Kuriatnyk said HazMat members deal with smells out of the coroner’s office every day.

“It is not safe and it is not secured,” he said. “Don’t kick this can down the road, as was done with the dog pound and 911 previously.”

Commissioner Rick Hernandez noted that he is absolutely adamant about moving the EMA and using ARP dollars to do so.

Bernard suggested he personally had conversations with EMA Director John Hickey about the county’s plans.

“He knows we are trying to secure some additional funds,” Bernard said. “We hired some grant writing consultants and they are in the process of trying to secure some funds. They did notify, at least me, that at our next meeting they are going to come in as far as securing some funds.”

Bernard reminded Craiger that EMA did receive a new $600,000 mobile command vehicle from the county using ARP funds.

“That should help some,” Bernard said. “You do have a HazMat truck. We just have to have some patience.”

Commissioner Rick Hernandez said the commissioners want to see the move.

“We are definitely moving ahead,” Bernard said. “We are just trying to move the right way and the least expensive way.”

Commissioner Denny Malloy suggested to his fellow commissioners that they have a plan B if plan A does not work and the effort to move EMA using unused ARP funds is not successful.

“I don’t want these guys back next month, or the month after, or after the next plane crash or the next catastrophe that we have, or the next HazMat incident ,” he said. “The guys are held up because they can’t get their equipment. This is their place. They take pride in having one of the best EMAs.”

Malloy said he is ready to take a loan out to address the needs of the coroner and the EMA, and address the storage issues that will be experienced by the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office, which stores some of its equipment at the old Cortland fire station.

Sheriff Mike Wilson on Tuesday told the commissioners that he must find a new location for his department’s rescue boat, a trailer, a tow truck and other vehicles when the EMA moves. The new location must remain near Mosquito Lake, be secured and have a concrete floor so the equipment will not rust.

“My patience is also getting a little thin too of waiting, waiting and waiting for the government and waiting for grants,” Malloy said.