Starting today, Oswego County will turn on its new E-911 radios. The system comes with some new features.
Oswego County spent over twenty-five million dollars upgrading the radio communications used by its emergency responders. It involved building seven new towers and refurbishing seven others, which will reduce the number of dead-zones, where emergency responders can't access the radio.
"The system that we're building has ninety-seven percent portable coverage throughout the county," said Michael Allen, director of the E-911 program in Oswego County.
Now, police and emergency crews can also talk with the five surrounding counties -- something the old technology didn't allow. The counties will also be sharing something else, says Allen.
"Four out of the five counties in our regional consortium are utilizing a master switch," Allen said.
Think of it like the brains of the system. By sharing the control point in Onondaga County, each county saves money. That's also the feature that allows them to communicate seamlessly with each other.