The state Office of Open Records ruled recently that publicly released time response logs from York County's 911 Center must include where police or fire units were headed when they were dispatched.

The office made the ruling Friday in response to an appeal by the York Daily Record/Sunday News. More than two months ago, the Daily Record/Sunday News asked the county for the logs with addresses.

The county denied the request, saying addresses were not part of the definition of a time response log.

The Daily Record argued in its appeal that, without the addresses, it is not possible to figure out if police and fire units arrived in an acceptable time.

With the state's new Right-To-Know Law, agencies now must prove why they believe a document is not a public record. The county did not meet this burden, Appeals Officer Audrey Buglione wrote.

"The legislative intent to expressly include time response logs as public information is to allow the public the ability to assess the efficiency of the emergency responders," she wrote. "The OOR agrees that without the cross street it would be impossible to determine whether or not the response times listed in the log were within

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acceptable parameters."

The county has 30 days to appeal in the York County Court of Common Pleas.

Reached Tuesday, York County Solicitor Michael Flannelly said he had received the ruling earlier that day and had not had time to discuss it with the county's commissioners.

"The decision rests with the commissioners," he said. "I'm going to set up a meeting with them, and we'll discuss it."

Flannelly said he would not rule out appealing Buglione's decision.

"The decision, quite frankly, takes a look at the legislative history . . . and then promptly ignores it," he said. "There is very solid grounds for appeal."

In a letter sent to Buglione by Flannelly on May 4, he referenced a legislative journal that cites a conversation between two state representatives, in which they agreed that a time response log would consist of when a call comes in to 911, when action is taken and when it is complete.

Flannelly also submitted an affidavit from York County 911 Director Cindy Dietz, in which she contends that, since the logs are not defined by law, the state's National Emergency Number Association defines the logs as not containing addresses.

The Daily Record/Sunday News also argued that not every county agrees with the NENA definition -- Lancaster County 911 includes addresses in its time response logs -- and that York County 911 includes addresses when listing active calls on its Web site.

tczech@ydr.com; 771-2033.