Some Columbiana County officials are looking to streamline emergency calls by making one centralized 911 center. 

Currently, the county has five public safety answering points or PSAP in Lisbon, Salem, Columbiana, East Palestine and East Liverpool. Some of those are short staffed. The idea is, if everyone is combined in one spot they would have enough dispatchers to take all the calls. 

Having one big center could also streamline communication between first responders, which can save time during an emergency.

“In the recent train derailment, when we had 38 or 40 different fire departments there, we could only talk to a few of them,” Tom Weigle, Columbiana County Commissioner and Chairman of the board that oversees the project said. 

The center would have the ability to communicate with every type of radio and every frequency. 

The expected centralized location would be at the current 911 call center at the sheriff's office in Lisbon. That office is staffed 24/7 and takes about 42% of the calls right now.

But to make this idea a reality it needs funding. The six member board that oversees the plans for this project is confident they can secure enough money from the state to cover equipment costs.

However, for labor costs, they’ll need almost $2.6 million annually. Part of that money is already covered. The county’s general fund pays for labor costs at the current sheriffs call center, which would just carry over if it expands. But for the four other centers, the individual municipalities pay for their labor. If those are absorbed, the municipalities would no longer have that cost but the county would need to make it up. 

To get that, adding millage or a levy are both possibilities. 

“That's a tough decision to make, the boards gotta be strong and it's not popular and in the end it could be an election issue,” Weigle said. 

The board has not made a final decision on how they could get the funding for labor. If they do decide on a tax they would need approval from the county commissioners. 

Weigle said the board will continue weighing funding options for the center.