Protective services committee approves radio-sharing pact with Westchester, hears NextGen 911 grant briefing

The Putnam County protective services committee on May 13 approved an intermunicipal agreement with Westchester County to permit mutual use of each other's radio systems and heard an update on a state NextGen 911 grant to upgrade local 911 equipment.

Emergency Services Commissioner Robert Lipton described the radio agreement as a straightforward arrangement allowing both counties' responders to operate on each other's frequencies when needed: "so we can both use each other's frequencies." He said the arrangement will help first responders switch channels when incidents cross borders and that "there's no cost to either side on this." The committee approved the agreement on a voice vote.

The committee also received an informational briefing on a new NextGen 911 grant program from the state to acquire next-generation 911 equipment. Lipton said the timing is right to upgrade the county's Vesta phone system and noted there is no local matching requirement. A legislator observed Putnam received a large allocation and that the grant can be distributed non-competitively; committee members confirmed no local match is required.

Members also approved reappointments to the Putnam County Emergency Services Safety Advisory Board for two incumbents and accepted related housekeeping revisions to the intermunicipal agreement item. The committee went into executive session later for a sensitive sheriff's procurement; no action was reported from that session.