Albany County has been awarded $217,355, part of $10 million in grants for localities across the state to support emergency response operations.

Monies are distributed among participating counties based on statistics reflective of a county’s operational scope, demographic factors, and emergency services call metrics. By participating in the program, counties affirm their adherence with state and national guidelines for emergency communications.

These 2018-19 grant funds will allow municipalities in 57 counties and New York City to make improvements to their 9-1-1 response and emergency-service dispatch operations. The funding is administered by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services through the Public Safety Answering Points Operations Grant.

Public safety facilities, known as Public Safety Answering Points, receive incoming calls for help and initiate dispatching of emergency services. Throughout the state, counties provide the majority of 9-1-1 answering and dispatching operations, and coordinate the services among municipal, county, and state responders.

The annual grant allows for state reimbursement to counties for eligible public-safety call-taking and dispatching expenses. All counties and New York City are eligible to apply to receive grant funds, and all chose to participate in the program this year.

The funds not only help county operators offset their day-to-day expenses, but can also foster upgrades in call-taking and dispatching technology and investing in new services such as text-messaging, data communication, and improved geo-location for emergency response.

Since the program's inception in 2010, counties have applied the funding to upgrades, including implementing text-to-9-1-1 services. Today, 48 percent of all statewide counties offer these text services, up from 40 percent last year.