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Cheshire County seeks federal help for 9-1-1 tower upgrades and ambulance reimbursement; commissioners plan trip to Washington
Summary
County leaders told commissioners they will press federal and state officials for funding to upgrade regional 9-1-1 communications towers and to change ambulance reimbursement rules, and they plan a March trip to Washington to seek support.
Cheshire County officials said Wednesday they will press state and federal officials for funding to upgrade regional 9-1-1 communications infrastructure and to pursue changes in ambulance reimbursement rules, and that county representatives will travel to Washington, D.C., March 1— to advocate for the requests.
Why it matters: county officials said aging telecommunications equipment and low ambulance reimbursement rates are straining emergency services in the region. Upgrading towers and improving reimbursement policies would affect emergency response capacity and municipal budgets.
County staff described a regional plan to replace decades-old radio and tower equipment used by dispatch centers and mutual aid partners. The county's estimate for the full system upgrade was cited in the meeting at $4,800,000; staff said the county had raised about $2,200,000 to date and had received $1,250,000 from the governor's office and sought another $936,000 from a senior means office that requires the state budget to pass before the money can be released.
Officials said the county will seek competitive state and federal grants for the project and urged the commissioners to press the state to make some of the available resilience and communications funding accessible to the county's shovel-ready projects. The county administrator said some prior statewide funding pools (described during the meeting as about $149,000,000 made available a few years ago for a statewide program) remain underused and could be a source if the state expedites allocations.
On ambulance funding and reimbursement, county representatives said they will ask national and federal partners to pursue higher Medicare/Medicaid rates for ambulance services and to change federal billing rules that prevent the county from billing for care when a patient refuses transport after being treated. The county's presentation linked low private-insurer reimbursement and outdated federal billing rules to growing pressure on volunteer and municipal ambulance services.
Commissioners and staff said they will travel to Washington, D.C., March 1— to meet with federal representatives and national associations and to pursue seats on relevant committees. County staff said participation on national technical and policy committees gives the county a voice when federal programs and rates are set.
Ending: County leaders said they will return with updates after the D.C. meetings and expected to continue pursuing state and federal grant opportunities for the tower upgrades and other public-safety investments.
