The Cortland County Office Building (file photo)
CORTLAND, N.Y. — Cortland County has been awarded $995,456 to support its emergency communications network, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.
The funds will be used to install emergency radios in school buses for at least two local school districts, according to Cortland County Emergency Response and Communications Director Scott Roman.
"The equipment would allow for bus drivers to have direct contact with emergency dispatchers in the event an emergency arises," Roman said in a press release.
The funds will also be used to upgrade the emergency paging system used by local fire departments, which Roman says has become "antiquated."
In 2014, Cortland County installed a $16 million emergency communications network; more than half the cost was covered by state funding.
In total, the governor doled out $45 million to 58 counties in New York State. The funding will allow counties to upgrade technology used in emergency communications systems, improving the ability of local governments to communicate and exchange valuable data.
