Governor Hochul Announces $100 Million in Grants To Improve Emergency Communications Throughout New York State

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a combined $100 million in state funding has been awarded to 57 counties and New York City to enhance emergency communications as part of the Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant (SICG) program. These programs aid municipalities in enhancing their emergency response capabilities by investing in public safety communications networks across the state. 

"This funding is critical to strengthening New York's emergency response capabilities, in situations where every second counts," Governor Hochul said. "We are laser focused on making smart investments in public safety across the state and these grants will be a significant boost for local governments working around the clock to keep New Yorkers safe."  

The $100 million in funding will be administered by the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) under two different grants: $90 million from SICG Formula grants and $10 million for Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) grants. Both grants directly enhance emergency response capabilities of local public safety agencies and improve the interoperability of communication systems across the state. 

State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, "Keeping New Yorkers safe is job #1 for Governor Hochul and the team at DHSES. These grants help local governments perform their public safety functions, strengthen the local response posture, and support emergency responders across the state." 

The funding announced today is formula-based and provided through cellular surcharge revenue. The grants are specifically designed to help counties and the City of New York improve the methods used by first responders to communicate with one another. Recipients can use the funding to install new radio equipment at towers and antenna sites as well as enhancing communication channels among public safety radio systems. The funding also supports training and exercises to promote interregional emergency communications and overall first responder readiness. 

The SICG Formula grant awards announced today are below: 

PSAP grants are intended to aid public safety answering point facilities, such as county emergency communication centers, which provide the majority of 911 operations and coordinate services between emergency response agencies. These grants allow for reimbursement to counties for eligible public safety expenses related to call intakes and dispatching. 

The PSAP grant awards announced today are below: 

More information about the SICG Program can be found on the DHSES website here. 

About the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services 

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination, and support to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and other emergencies. For more information, find DHSES on Facebook, on Twitter or visit dhses.ny.gov.