Youngstown's winters are long and snowy. NWS Cleveland's normals for the Youngstown airport list 67.8 inches of snowfall a year, and January alone averages 19.6 inches with a mean low of 19.3°F. When a furnace, boiler or heat pump stops in that stretch, the house cools quickly and pipes can freeze, so a repair often cannot wait for a convenient day. Hiring in a hurry still needs some checks. Mahoning County's residential permit instructions say the heating, electric and plumbing sub-contractors named must be licensed with Mahoning County, or with Youngstown City for work inside city limits. They also split permits by trade: HVAC and fireplace permits go through Building Inspection, electrical permits through Central Electric Inspection, and plumbing permits through the Board of Health. So before you agree to a replacement or a larger repair, ask which licence the company holds for your address, who pulls the permit, and which office it goes through. Ask for the scope of work in writing.
Source: National Weather Service Cleveland (source, opens in a new tab)