Northwood considering eliminating 911 dispatch center [Video]

NORTHWOOD, Ohio — Northwood city officials are considering closing their local 911 dispatch center and transferring emergency calls to Wood County’s dispatch center in Bowling Green.

Community members shared their concerns during a packed city council meeting held Thursday night at the Northwood Municipal Building.

People fear the proposal could impact emergency response times and cost jobs.

“We really need to keep our dispatch local,” Northwood resident Auderey Caliguiri said.

City officials are exploring this change as part of broader budget cuts.

The city’s looking into having every department in Northwood cut its budget by 5%, according to city administrator Kevin Laughlin.

“We’ve had down revenue streams this year,” Laughlin said. “We have a couple of large accounts that are underperforming past years, so revenue’s down and costs have gone …