St. Lawrence County Emergency Services is getting $162,596 for its dispatch operations, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The funding comes from the Public Safety Awareness Points (PSAP) Operations Grant, administered by the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

This grant allows for state support to counties for eligible public safety call-taking and dispatching expenses. The program promotes consolidating operations and sharing services across jurisdictions, as well as multi-jurisdictional operations capable of dispatching services for both local and state first responders. Counties can also make greater investments in Next Generation 9-1-1 (or NG-911) technology, which will enable text messaging, data services and improved geo-location for emergency response, Cuomo said.

The Public Safety Answering Points Operations Grant is non-competitive and allocates money by a formula which seeks an equitable distribution of funding among counties based on quantifiable elements and relevant metrics.

The formula takes into account criteria reflective of a county’s operational scope, demographic elements, emergency services call metrics, progress made in deploying new technology and adherence with state and national guidelines for emergency communications.

Through this data, a county’s needs are balanced with an overall goal of developing a reliable and consistent 9-1-1 structure throughout the state, Cuomo said.