County gets $1.6M to upgrade 911 system
Enterprise file photo — Michael Koff
Stephen Acquario, who directs the New York State Association of Counties, shown here at a pandemic-era press conference, said this week that $85 million in state funding for upgrading 911 systems will “improve response times, enhance caller location accuracy, and ultimately save more lives.”
ALBANY COUNTY — Albany County has received $1,639,396 in state funds — part of $85 million in grants awarded to 57 counties across New York — to prepare for implementing Next Generation 911.
All eligible counties — those outside of New York City — received a base amount of $1 million with the remaining funds allocated based on population.
NG911, as it is called, will be digital and run through the internet, replacing the current analog 911 infrastructure; it is meant to improve reliability and to meet national standards.
“The transition to Next Generation 911 technology will significantly enhance our counties’ ability to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies,” said the director of the New York State Association of Counties, Stephen Acquario, in a release from the governor’s office.
“This $85 million commitment,” Acquario went on, “ensures that New York's counties can implement the digital infrastructure needed to improve response times, enhance caller location accuracy, and ultimately save more lives.”
Homeland Security Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “The professionals who take emergency calls and dispatch responders are our first line of assistance and this funding will help support them with new equipment and software to increase their capabilities.”
— Melissa Hale-Spencer
