ALBANY – Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a combined $55 million in state funding was awarded to 57 counties and New York City for upgrades to the state’s emergency communications systems and public safety answering points.
The funding was made available by two grants under the Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant program, which provides reimbursement to eligible counties to improve their emergency communication systems, as well as providing funding to further enhance public safety call-taking and dispatching abilities.
Several counties here in the Southern Tier will receive a share of this funding, including:
- Chemung County – $498,210
- Schuyler County – $407,932
- Steuben County – $748,369
- Tioga County – $410,016
“Public safety is my number one priority here in New York State, and I’m proud to announce this year’s round of funding to enhance communication systems that help our emergency responders work more efficiently,” Governor Hochul said. “Year after year, we continue to make funding available to every county and New York City to help keep New Yorkers safe, and these grant programs do just that.”
The $55 million in funding will be administered by the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) under two different grants: $45 million from SICG-Formula grants and $10 million for Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) grants. Both programs directly support local emergency response capabilities and promote interoperability for public safety agencies throughout the state.