What is now known as the Joint Communications District, or the effort to regionalize police and fire dispatching services took one major step forward on Friday.

The new regional council of governments sat down for their first board meeting.

Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene who was named chairman of the committee, will work with the chiefs of police from Austintown and Boardman, and says fully regionalizing the dispatch services could take one year to 18 months.

"This process is very complicated, and we've probably overused the word baby steps. But we want to make sure that this is going to be a safe transition and everybody is proficient at what they're doing," Sheriff Greene said.

The decision to regionalize the 911 dispatch services will save Mahoning County more than one-million dollars over a period of ten years.