NYC to Get $34 Million for Emergency Communications

New York Governor David A. Paterson has announced that the New York City urban area will get another $34 million in homeland security grant funds to help fire, police and other first responders communicate during emergencies.

According to an article on the Government Technology website, the funds, part of the federal government’s Urban Area Security Initiative, are available through the federal Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program.

The New York City Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) includes NYC, Yonkers, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The region will receive the $34 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The article says the region will use the funds to advance several of its communication initiatives, including:

• Technology to enhance communication within the MTA tunnel system;
• A shared communication platform for the first responder agencies within the region and gateway technology to integrate some of the existing legacy systems into the overall communications effort; and
• Enhanced public safety communications technology within the Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) Railroad system.

“Communication is the cornerstone of effective emergency response,” Governor Paterson told the publication. “This funding will enhance the State’s communications capabilities and I’m encouraged to see that the Department of Homeland Security recognizes the importance of supporting first responders in the New York City metro region.”