It’s one thing to say it’s time for action.

But for municipal and department officials who participated in a forum on the future of fire and emergency medical services in the county on Wednesday night, what does that action look like?

Those answers — in the form of recommendations — are likely going to come from a tri-county EMS study that is currently underway. A state Department of Community and Economic Development consultant, Peter Melan, is working through that process now.

Erie and Crawford county, the other counties involved in the review, were represented at Wednesday’s meeting.

“What I am encouraging you, you have an opportunity in Warren County to participate and actively engage in the DCED study,” Jerry Ozog, executive director of the Pa. Fire & Emergency Services Institute, told the municipal and departmental officials in attendance.

“I encourage you to be honest with him about your capabilities,” he said. “You’ve got to plan for implementation now.”

That will “cause some pain and discomfort” but he emphasized that “there’s dedicated people in Warren County. It’s your community.”

“We’re seeing annual loss of providers in the EMS world at four percent throughout the entire state,” Melan said. “That’s significant. We’re not filling those positions….”

He said he’s currently reviewing data from the three counties but the thrust of his message was clear: “This is a call for action. If we don’t resolve this, the system is going to continue to be taxed.”

Melan said it’s not his role to give a “rosy picture” but will focus on the data.

“For this area, you have to have buy-in,” he said.

Ozog said the Melan’s final report would present “recommended best practices.

“But here’s the deal,” he added. “Many places” will receive the report and “due to a variety of reasons — nobody wants to change anything, no political will” the effort will stall.

He emphasized the need for “community leadership.”

“It really is a bottom up approach,” Melan said. “Everyone needs to put whatever differences, feelings, (aside)…. This is only going to work if you have a collaborative effort.

“I’m here as a resource to guide you through this process.”

Ozog detailed how EMS challenges aren’t unique to Warren County.

“The key is going to be someone finding that model” that works, he said.

Paul Pascuzzi said it’s “good news” that there are as many BLS providers — nine — as there were when discussions started 12 years ago.

“(We) actually have more apparatus sort of than we had before,” he said. “The fact of the matter is, we can’t wait for Harrisburg…. It’s a Warren County issue. It’s Warren County that needs to come together and put it together.

“We have to start looking at our neighborhoods” and “putting municipalities together,” he said. “I don’t know the answers. If I knew the answers, we would have already solved it. (We are) putting a lot of effort into it.”