FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear Tuesday joined Kentucky 911 Services Board Chair and Kentucky Office of Homeland Security (KOHS) Executive Director Josiah Keats in announcing 53 grants totaling $2.8 million to improve and enhance 911 call center operations.
“Kentuckians deserve to get fast assistance in an emergency. In an environment where seconds can literally be the difference between life and death, providing prompt and accurate emergency response is of paramount importance,” said Beshear. “Kentucky’s 911 telecommunicators represent the front line of our first responders and these grants will help ensure the commonwealth’s emergency call centers have the technology and equipment they need to direct police, fire and rescue to people in their greatest time of need as quickly as possible.”
For the 2020 grant cycle, there were 61 applications representing $3.6 million in requests. KOHS followed an extensive grant review process to evaluate and prioritize grant funding. After 911 Services Board staff ensured all documentation was properly submitted, a team of 911 and grant subject matter experts representing emergency call centers and area development districts across the commonwealth analyzed and scored each grant. Following the comprehensive peer review process, a second team of subject matter experts performed a technical review to ensure each grant request met grant specifications, and statutory and regulatory guidelines. The highest scoring projects were then submitted to the full 911 Services Board, which unanimously approved the grant awards at their June 30 meeting.
“This objective evaluation process ensures grants are ranked on critical need,” Keats said.
A complete list of grant recipients can be viewed on the Kentucky 911 Services Board web page at: http://911board.ky.gov.
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