Commissioners press for state, federal help to finish $4.8M regional 9-1-1 communications upgrade

Cheshire County commissioners at their Feb. 19 meeting highlighted a regional public-safety communications need and urged higher-level funding partners to help complete a $4.8 million upgrade.

A county official (Speaker 1) described the regional telecommunications towers and 9-1-1 radio equipment as 15–20 years old and at risk of catastrophic failure. "That cost is $4,800,000," Speaker 1 said, adding the county had so far raised about $2,200,000.

Why it matters: Officials said a tower failure could disrupt 9-1-1 service for extended periods and that replacement parts are increasingly difficult to source. They want a fund set aside so communities like theirs could apply for grants to cover remaining costs.

Funding and sources: Speaker 1 said the county has already secured $1,250,000 from leftover ARPA allocations from the governor’s office and expects another $936,000 from a senior means office pending state budget passage. Commissioners said additional state or federal match would allow communities to move forward with shovel-ready projects.

What’s next: Commissioners said they will continue to press state and federal contacts and pursue available grant programs. No final appropriation was made at the meeting.

Attributions: Quotes and figures are taken from the meeting transcript and attributed to the speakers as identified there.