The New York State Division of Homeland Security has approved a pair of grants for the Yates County Sheriffs office totaling more that 531-thousand dollars to update its public safety communications system. The idea is for all first responders will be able to hear and talk with each other.
There's 437-thousand for equipment, 93-thousand for contractual services, technician labor and miscellaneous costs. The radio equipment includes multi-band mobile and portable radios for county and for municipal agencies all associated with 911 dispatch including Sheriff, Penn Yan Police, Fire Service, EMS Services, OEM and Fire Coordinators, County Highway and Public Health departments.
Additionally they will install a new 4.9 GHz microwave link from the Public Safety Building tower to the Sherman Hill Tower site replacing the T1 line as the primary link and the telephone line will then be the back-up. The plan also includes new replacement batteries for tower sites which have become an expensive budget item.
Bids should be ready to go in the late spring or early summer.
