CARMEL, NY – On Wednesday, March 26, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne co-hosted an informational session at the Bureau of Emergency Services (BES) auditorium for multiple first-responder agencies and elected officials to answer questions related to the county’s ongoing fire, police, and EMS digital radio expansion.

The public safety upgrade is a $13 million project which aims to enhance communications and interoperability among first responders, ensuring they have access to a modern and reliable emergency radio system. Older iterations of the radio system required participating agencies to manually switch between frequencies, potentially reducing response times. When complete, the radio expansion will ensure that 100% of first-responder communications cover the county, filling coverage gaps and providing a seamless and modern network for emergency correspondence.

The project began with a critical upgrade to the county’s beamed-radio-wave communication system, which was fully funded by a New York State Statewide Interoperable Communications Targeted Grant (SICG). Under Byrne, Putnam County allocated an additional $3.2 million investment from various sources to further support the initiative. The remainder of the project has been covered through Annual Formula-Based SICG grants, ensuring that the investment in first-responder communications remains fiscally responsible.

“Putnam County has embarked on a plan to extend access to radio operations to every first responder within our borders,” said County Executive Byrne. “Think of it as a secure hotline for every firefighter, police officer, and EMS personnel who wants it. This system will fill gaps in coverage and provide a seamless and modern network for emergency communications. I am pleased that we could host this informative tutorial alongside our partners Bureau of Emergency Services and IT Department.”

To learn more about how Putnam County is supporting local first-responder agencies, visit the BES website: https://www.putnamcountyny.gov/pcbes