WARREN — Members of the Emergency Management Agency board, including various police chiefs, fire chiefs, representatives of HazMat and the EMA board, met with Trumbull County Commissioner Denny Malloy on Monday, requesting the commissioners speed up the EMA’s move from its current building.

“They are getting pretty antsy with the coroner being in the EMA building,” Malloy said. “They had a HazMat situation recently where they couldn’t get to the stuff they use to pick up oil off the road in an emergency situation because it was behind the coroner’s equipment.”

He said the HazMat director had to use a dolly to get to the equipment and there were water and electrical lines, so they could not go over them with the dolly. Malloy also described instances where HazMat workers had to wait to get equipment because the coroner was in the middle of doing autopsies.

“They said John (Hickey, EMA director) has been very patient, but they are done with being patient,” Malloy said. “We need to do something with the coroner immediately or get EMA out of there now. John is ready to go if we can allocate the ARP money that’s already allocated to him.”

Hickey went out to bid on his own and estimated that it would cost about $300,000 to move EMA to the former Cortland Fire Department, and another $300,000 to move sheriff’s office equipment, according to Malloy.

Trumbull County Sheriff Mike Wilson said his equipment — a tow truck, two boats, a trailer and other vehicles — must be stored in a climate-controlled area that is secured with a concrete floor.

“Our stuff must be stored close to the lake so it can be used for emergencies,” Wilson said, noting his department is willing to work with the other agencies.

Commissioner Rick Hernandez said they have the money to move EMA and Commissioner Tony Bernard said the commissioners met with Hickey before about this and told him about the commissioners’ plans.

“They have to give us some time,” Bernard said. “They have to have some patience. We are trying to get them some funds to make the move.

“Everybody is trying to push us for the dog pound, 911 and the coroner,” he said. “We know what the needs are. We are waiting for the word. We just need to find the funds to do it.”

Malloy said it is members of the EMA board — police chiefs and fire chiefs — that are fed up with the delay, not Hickey.

“When a HazMat team is being called out, they specialize in emergency response, immediately being reactive, and when something happens, they go,” Malloy said. “Now, they are being held up where they can’t mobilize because there might be an autopsy going on at the time.”

Bernard questioned why the Cortland garage was not being used.

Wilson said they would be interested in exploring that site to store the equipment.

“We are open to any suggestions,” he said.

Commissioner Rick Hernandez said they are all in agreement to use ARP funds that were already assigned to the EMA truck purchase and equipment, if it is legally possible.