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Kevin Bednarski, a Rocky River firefighter, trustee of the Northern Ohio Firefighters Association, and Lakewood High graduate, advocated that localized dispatch for the west side suburbs is the safest option for police and firefighters. He spoke about the value of West Comm, a local dispatch center that dispatches on behalf of several neighboring west side suburban communities. He noted his extended family's residency in Lakewood and his comfort in knowing that Lakewood dispatchers would get safety forces there quickly in the event of an emergency. Scott Gilman—12550 Lake Ave. Mr. Gilman, Lakewood's former fire chief, stated that if regionalization ofdispatch is necessary, then Lakewood needs to be the hub, as it has the highest call volume and the most experienced dispatchers. He noted that dispatch has been the most neglected area of the public safety forces, as they've continually absorbed additional duties, such as dispatching for medical emergencies when the Fire & EMS Departments merged. He suggested that the city look to other regional organizations for funding to support Lakewood's dispatch center. Denise Tharp—12650 Detroit Ave. Ms. Tharp, a Lakewood resident and former dispatcher who has worked for Cleveland, Metroparks, and Chagrin Valley Dispatch with 15 years' experience in the field, who spoke about her experience dealing with a shooting that had taken place in the Metroparks. She credited the swift action ofLakewood's dispatchers and fast safety force response in saving the life of the shooting victim and apprehending the suspect. She stated that Chagrin Valley Dispatch provides a lower level of service and that workers there, who are unfamiliar with the area, would be responsible for handling the city's calls for service. Rebecca Wise 2121 Carabel Ave. Ms. Wise, a Lakewood resident, stated how important seconds are in emergency situations and spoke about instances where she has placed 911 calls and the impact of a swift response. Bridget Roda—12650 Detroit Ave. Ms. Roda, a Lakewood dispatcher for the past 22 years, thanked LPD, LFD, the community, and other advocates for their attendance and support. She shared the belief that the dispatch center would've been sold away to Chagrin Valley Dispatch had news of the potential deal been kept private. She detailed that her union requested public records about the matter, which prompted a meeting with the mayor. Ms. Roda continued to state that the administration signaled that all 11 dispatchers would be moved to Chagrin Valley Dispatch, a non-union shop and would lose all seniority. She researched the motives behind the move, limiting the number ofpublic safety answering points (PSAPs) in the county to comply with Ohio Revised Code (ORC). She noted that there is legislation being considered on repealing the section of the ORC limiting PSAPs, and that the code only applied to wireless PSAPs, which Lakewood is not. She asked for more research and conversation on the matter, and to work with the administration. Ron Bunner—12650 Detroit Ave. Mr. Bunner, a 14 year Lakewood police officer and union representative of the LPD patrolmen's union, explained how vital Lakewood dispatch is in responding to calls and keeping officers safe. He reiterated the accelerated timeline under which the talks about moving dispatch took place. He added that after the information was revealed to the public, that the mayor contacted the dispatch union representative stating that 5