NYS Grants Nearly $600K for Livingston County’s Top-of-the-Line Emergency Radios

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – The Livingston County Board of Supervisors is pleased to announce the award of $598,108 in funding from New York State to support the county’s emergency communications system.

According to a press release from Livingston County, on March 29, Governor Cuomo announced that counties will receive portions of $45 million in total funding to enhance their vital emergency communications systems. Livingston County’s part of that award will maintain the upgraded system that went live earlier this year and continue to upgrade interoperability with other agencies’ systems.

“We are very excited to be one of the counties selected for continued funding,” said County Administrator Ian Coyle. “This award will provide funding to help maintain our recent improvements and give us further opportunity to improve interoperability with adjacent counties and state partners.”

The awards are distributed through a State-funded Interoperable Communications Grant program supporting regional communications partnerships throughout New York State. This funding is in addition to the $5.9 million grant previously awarded to the county through the same program in 2014 and the $3.5 million granted in 2015.

The funding is made available from the public safety surcharge, or E911 fee, that is collected from cellular phone bills, and paid to the State.

“Our emergency communications upgrades have transitioned all first responders within the county onto one radio solution that has greatly improved our abilities to respond to emergencies, and communicate effectively, both within the county and regionally,” said Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty. “This additional funding continues to keep the funding away from your tax bill and utilizes the 911 surcharges off your phone bill, not your state or local taxes. We will continue to push Albany to bring your 911 surcharge money back to our county and provide the many updates needed in our county dispatch center.”