$50,000 grant to support 911 system

Municipal Restructuring Grant will allow Madison, Onondaga counties address long-term management.

Madison County has been awarded $50,000 to address its emergency communications systems.

The Municipal Restructuring Project is one of several being implemented across 45 communities in the state. In Madison County, the grant will allow the Onondaga and Madison Counties Regional Emergency Management Communications to develop a study that addresses the long-term management of emergency communications in the two counties.

“This grant will allow us to discover howwe can better serve the residents of Madison County,” Madison County Board of Supervisors Chairman John Becker said. “The study will the benchmark our 911 systems and seek out opportunities for improving

our 911 services through partnering with Onondaga County.”

Madison County Director of EmergencyManagement Ted Halpin identified the key elements of the study to include:

•Benchmarking the current 911 services of Madison and Onondaga counties

•Considering the feasibility of partial or total con- solidation into a MadisonOnondaga Regional Public Safety Communications Center

•Providing a thorough cost-benefit analysis

•Considering alternative options

•Providing recommenda- tions

“We are duty-bound to examine options as to how to provide the best emergency services possible to our residents and visitors,” Halpin said. “This study will provide us the information we need tomake these improve- ments”.

Madison County Emergency Communications employs 18 people and receives approximately 32,000 calls annually. Currently, the county has begun a draft Scope of Work that has been developed with the input from the 911 staff and first responder community.

The next step will be to bid for a vendor to conduct the study, which takes several weeks.

“We’re taking steps to ensure municipalities operate efficiently and cost effectively,” said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul. “This funding for local communities across the state will help to consolidate services and save taxpayers money. These projects will further enhance delivery of services and quality of life for New Yorkers.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the restructuring project Tuesday, Aug. 28 and said these projects will provide real and recurring savings for taxpayers as NewYork continues tomake government more efficient through shared services.

TheMRF is a $25 million fund, managed by the New York Department of State’s Division of Local Government Services, to support local government restructuring projects in multiple stages of development. The grants are expected to save taxpayers $126 million.