Boardman Trustees are asking Mahoning County Commissioners to help facilitate a discussion that could potentially lead to some type of county-wide ambulance service.

"Everyone is going alone trying to build an ambulance company or system, it's just not working. It's not a good way of doing business," said Boardman Administrator Jason Loree.

In a letter from Trustees to Commissioners, they say: "The EMS network in Mahoning County is made up of various local entities and private companies all whom seem to be struggling with staffing and response. Yes this is partially because of the labor shortage facing the country, but largely it is because it is a very substantial financial burden for any one community or company alone."

The letter also says that Boardman Township put together a committee of private citizens to review what it would take to establish an EMS service for their community, and elected officials determined it is not something they would attempt knowing the overall EMS system is stretched thin.

"It just didn't make sense for the elected officials here in Boardman to try and lone-wolf it and build their own system when we think there is a better way of doing it with a regional approach," said Loree. 

Commissioner David Ditzler says commissioners will help facilitate the discussion, but he unsure if a county-wide service is the answer.

"Obviously there is no one county wide that has the funding source to sustain ambulances, I mean if private industries are all going out of business, there is a reason," said Ditzler. 

Instead, he points to the state for a solution.

"We need to look to the state. The state needs to assist in some way shape or form. I think we give the state legislature a pass on everything. You can't continue to put things on the back of the residents," said Ditzler. "I mean to sustain something like this, you need some type of property tax in every community, something that sustains it, and I think people are just tired of that."

Just this week, in a 21 News Watchdog Report we asked Youngstown City leaders to explain the hold up on their EMS plans. That report can be read, here.

The full letter from Boardman Trustees can be read below: