Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced more than $29
million in grant funding has been awarded to Chenango, Putnam, St. Lawrence,
Ulster and Wyoming Counties to improve local emergency communication. This
funding will support a variety of projects including the construction of new
radio towers, securing and updating existing infrastructure, as well as
upgrades to local 911 call centers. Investments will improve the ability to
communicate critical information during emergency situations locally and
enhances public safety in communities statewide.
"In an emergency situation, just a few seconds can make
all the difference in the world," Governor Cuomo said. "The public
safety of our communities relies on swift and seamless communication between
local and state agencies, first responders, and residents. That's why we're
bringing the state's emergency response infrastructure into the 21st century
and arming localities with the tools necessary to respond quickly and protect
New Yorkers in times of crisis."
Commissioner of the State Division of Homeland Security and
Emergency Services Patrick Murphy said, "Emergency communications services
are vital to ensure the safety and well-being of New Yorkers. This funding will
help these counties upgrade their communications infrastructure to enhance public
safety. We remain committed to helping communities improve their public safety
operations by deploying state-of-the-art emergency communications systems
around the state."
Seven counties have already received funding in phase one of
the 2018 Statewide Interoperable Communications Targeted Grant Program. A list
of the five counties receiving awards through the second phase of the targeted
grant program is as follows:
Chenango County will receive $6,000,000 to build several new
communications tower sites, add new radio channels to strengthen communications
between multiple jurisdictions and agencies, as well as upgrade the county's
911 communications center with new equipment to improve monitoring of those
multi-jurisdictional communications channels.
Putnam County will receive $6,000,000 to add six new
communications tower sites and add new radio channels to strengthen
communications between multiple jurisdictions and agencies. The new system will
enhance communications between Putnam's emergency services (Fire/EMS), the
Putnam County Sheriff's Office, the New York State Police, the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority Police Department, all county municipal departments,
school districts and local city, town and village police departments.
St. Lawrence County will receive $6,000,000 to upgrade its
emergency communications response system. The upgrades will cover the four
major areas of the emergency communication response system: site, connectivity,
dispatch consoles and radio system. The system will provide public safety grade
sites and connectivity which will greatly enhance the robustness of the radio
system.
Ulster County will receive $6,000,000 to build a new tower
and improve the existing towers. The county also will implement new radio
channels to strengthen communications between multiple jurisdictions and
agencies and improve dispatching operations at public safety answering points.
Wyoming County will receive $5,931,797 to build new towers
and improve connectivity to the upstate public safety agencies. Improvements
will allow vital communications between Buffalo, Rochester and across the
state. The county will also implement additional public safety radio channels
to provide improved interoperability and safety.
Wyoming County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Rebecca Ryan
said, "This funding will allow us to make the critical upgrades necessary
to ensure we are prepared for any threat to our public safety. We thank the Governor for granting localities
the resources to upgrade these vital technologies in order to better serve the
people of our great county."
State Interoperable Communications Grant
The grant has awarded more than $500 million to 57 counties
and New York City since 2010. The program has allowed counties to make vital
improvements in the way first responders can communicate between each other and
different regions of the state using land mobile radio systems. This includes
expanding radio coverage by installing new equipment at towers and antenna
sites, implementing Next Generation 911 technologies and standards, setting up
communication channels among public safety radio systems, consolidating
emergency services dispatch centers, supporting the operations of public safety
dispatch centers and deploying new technology that helps counties link their
systems together. Additionally, this funding supports training and exercises to
promote efficient inter-regional communications, cooperation and overall first
responder readiness.
The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism, natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit the Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on Twitter, or visit dhses.ny.gov.
