Michael T. Baldwin Reports
Allegany County is set to receive more than $1 million in…to use easy to understand language…for public safety communications. The Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant (SICG) program will provide Allegany County with $1.4 million in funding. Steuben County has been earmarked to receive $1.5 million.
PSAP grants are intended to aid public safety answering point (PSAP) facilities, such as county emergency communication centers, which provide the majority of 911 operations and coordinate services between emergency response agencies.
These grants allow for reimbursement to counties for eligible public safety expenses related to call intakes and dispatching. Allegany County is set to receive $131,000.
The funding announced is formula-based and provided through cellular surcharge revenue. The grants are specifically designed to help counties and the City of New York improve the methods used by first responders to communicate with one another. Recipients can use the funding to install new radio equipment at towers and antenna sites as well as enhancing communication channels among public safety radio systems. The funding also supports training and exercises to promote interregional emergency communications and overall first responder readiness.
“This funding is critical to strengthening New York’s emergency response capabilities, in situations where every second counts,” Governor Hochul said.
