Pocono News Section

I-Team Exclusive: Luzerne County 9-1-1 Center Report Covered Up?

I-Team Exclusive: Luzerne County 9-1-1 Center Report Covered Up? - Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:00PM EST

? Reported by: Joe Holden
Tuesday, Jul 8, 2008 @ 07:00pm EST
HANOVER TWP., LUZERNE COUNTY- A scathing report on Luzerne County 9-1-1 operations is released to Eyewitness News. The I-Team's Joe Holden has an exclusive report on the 9-1-1 center. And some aren't too a happy Eyewitness News has this document…

Eyewitness News obtained this draft report on Luzerne County's 9-1-1 center. It's as thick as a phone book. It details operations from A to Z. It openly criticizes management, employee morale, electrical wiring inside the building and more. The report was never made public.

Two independent sources claim the document was quashed two years ago by former County Manager Sam Guesto. Commissioner Steve Urban blames Guesto and says the draft was replaced by a watered-down final draft.

Commissioner Chair Maryann Petrilla said, “I would certainly hope there was nothing intentional done to put information in a drawer and not have it released.”

Petrilla was unaware of many of the issues raised by Kimball and Associates. That's the firm that conducted the study for $88,000. 33 electrical hazards were identified that would jeopardize 9-1-1 operations.

It revealed a problem with mold. Luzerne County Public Safety Director Alan Pugh responded it was a humidifier problem. “Since then, our humidifiers have been turned off until that is ultimately rectified, but that was always a concern of ours from the beginning and we brought that to their attention actually,” he told the I-Team.

But what apparently wasn't brought to anyone's attention outside upper county management's was everything highlighted in pink in the report. The I-Team’s Joe Holden asked Pugh, “So nobody from the county asked that any of this information?

Pugh responded, “They only I'm aware of who met with them from the county was my management staff and went over the report and gave our answers and information back to them.”

Pugh denied knowing of any cover up. But comparing the draft report to the one released at a news conference in November, it's clear sentences were changed, words were erased and entire pages were pulled.

Petrilla added, “There are a lot of things that are being corrected. And certainly I'd like to compare the draft report with the final report and ask that same question as to if there was some pertinent information taken out. Why? Because we paid $88,000 to have that report done in the first place.”