WARREN — A possible location for the next Trumbull County 911 Center was introduced to the Trumbull County Commissioners two weeks ago at the Kent State University at Trumbull campus in Champion.

Each commissioner on Tuesday noted the KSU location as a promising site for the dispatch center’s new home. The county has been looking for a new location since 2023.

Commissioner Rick Hernandez noted that Bill Ayres, dean and administrative officer at the campus, contacted him May 11 about the school possibly partnering with the county on housing the 911 center after reading a newspaper article about the commissioners looking for more possible sites for the 911 Center.

Hernandez set up the meeting with the entire board.

“They (Kent State Trumbull officials) showed us blueprints to see if their location would meet required building standards for the 911 center,” Commissioner Denny Malloy said. “We will present them to the 911 review board. If they do, we’ll add the campus site to the mix (of possible locations).”

Malloy noted that the campus location and the second floor of the Trumbull County Health Department’s building in Cortland are, right now, the primary sites being considered for the 911 Center.

The commissioners also looked at a former Rite Aid store in Champion and a location in Howland as possibilities, but, at this time, are focusing on those two other sites.

“These two buildings are a much better fit for the taxpayer budget,” Malloy noted. “It was a very generous offer that was made by Kent State.”

Hernandez added that after the meeting with Ayres and his team, each of the commissioners was very impressed with what they saw and the school’s proposal.

“It is a very, very good offer from Kent State to the commissioners to house 911,” he said. “We are very happy the dean reached out to us.”

Malloy emphasized that neither the 911 director nor the 911 architectural review team has seen it.

“It has to meet their standards,” he said.

Commissioner Tony Bernard, who has worked for a year-and-a-half to slow down the process of selecting a new location for the 911 center, said the county would not have received the offer from Kent State if they immediately accepted the offer from the county’s health department to house the 911 center in Cortland.

“Kent State seems very viable,” Bernard said. “We have to make sure the building is structurally sound for its needs.”

Bernard said the commissioners are making sure that where and when they move is the best location at the best cost for the county.

“The renovation costs (of the Kent State site) appear to be minimal,” Bernard said.

Last week, chiefs from several area police departments expressed concern about the operation of Trumbull County’s 911 Center. It was suggested that the county slow down its efforts to move the center until other issues, including billing and regulations, are addressed.