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For Immediate Release 3-29-2017 For more information contact Eric J. Mulvihill Cortland County Public Information Officer [PHONE REDACTED] CORTLAND COUNTY AWARDED FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS Nearly $1 million dollar state grant will Support Further Upgrades and Maintenance of Emergency Communications Network CORTLAND – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $45 million has been awarded for counties across the state to upgrade critical technology and improve emergency communications systems. This funding will enable local governments to expand their ability to communicate, exchange valuable data, and streamline information through their systems to enhance collaboration and assist first responders. Locally, Cortland County has been awarded $995,456 to support its emergency communications network. According to Cortland County Emergency Response and Communications Director Scott Roman the funds will be used to support a number of initiatives. Roman said his proposal included installing emergency radios in school buses for at least two Cortland County School Districts: “the equipment would allow for bus drivers to have direct contact with emergency dispatchers in the event an emergency arises”. The funding would also be used to build redundancy in the communications network and allow for inter-county communications between Cortland and Onondaga Counties. Roman plans to use some of the funding to upgrade the emergency paging system used by local fire departments. The portable pagers are critical when it comes to notifying first responders in volunteer fire departments. Roman said, “the current paging system has become antiquated; these funds would allow the system to be brought up to modern standards”. Additionally, a portion of the money would be used toward the ongoing maintenance of the County’s Emergency Communications Network. Roman said he is still waiting for final direction from New York State on how exactly the grant funds can be applied. Cortland County installed a New Emergency Communications Network in 2014; the system cost nearly $16 million dollars which was offset by over $10 million dollars in state funding. In 2017, the Cortland County Legislature prepaid a portion of the project cost thereby saving thousands of dollars in interest payments. Cortland County Legislative Chairman Donnell Boyden credited staff for seeking these state funds and reducing the financial burden on Cortland County property tax payers and thanked Governor Cuomo for his vision and assistance in supporting this critical emergency infrastructure.