BELLEFONTE — Centre County has secured $1 million in federal funds to begin modernizing the emergency radios that connect first responders in the field with the county’s 911 dispatch system.

The county says the broader replacement effort will cost about $4.5 million and is appealing to its municipalities and state legislators to help close the remaining $3.5 million gap.

The Congressional directed spending approved in January in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations minibus package will support the replacement of more than 1,300 radios that commissioners say are, in some cases, held together with duct tape and rubber bands.

The award is drawn from $78 billion in discretionary funding allocated by Congress to support law enforcement, economic development, scientific research and other national priorities.

Locally, the funding contributes to a broader, more than $20 million communications overhaul designed to ensure first responders can reliably reach each other and dispatch during fast-moving incidents, especially in the county’s mountainous and rural areas.

The overhaul comes as many departments still rely on aging radios, some of which are barely functional, particularly at volunteer-run agencies where tight budgets make replacement difficult, commissioners said.

To address these needs, the $1 million will be allocated first to the fire companies, EMS agencies and police departments deemed most in need. Distribution will be guided by the county and its partners, taking into account each community’s economic circumstances.

“The $1 million is really just the starting point of what this project is going to bring to Centre County,” said County Deputy Administrator Natalie Corman, who announced the award at Tuesday’s county commissioners meeting. “It will require millions more.”

Officials noted that because most emergency responders are employed by municipalities or independent volunteer companies rather than the county itself, local governments and state partners will likely need to shoulder much of the remaining cost of replacing the radios.

“Our municipalities are — at least theoretically — on the hook for this, so we would appreciate support from our state senators and also our state representatives to help make up the remaining $3.5 million,” said Mark Higgins, chair of the county commissioners.

Higgins also called on residents to support emergency responders through EMS memberships, supporting fire company fundraisers and by advocating for greater funding for local police departments.

“They all need radios, and all of us rely on them,” he said.

Commissioner Amber Concepcion echoed that sentiment, stressing the importance of financial and community backing for emergency responders.

“We are really grateful for this funding to kickstart this effort, and we’ll encourage the state to look at what their resources are to help a little bit more, but municipalities will probably need to dig into their own pockets a bit as well,” Concepcion said. “We need to remember that they are public servants who are serving all of us, very often on a voluntary basis, and anything we can do to support those companies is really helping the public safety of all of us.”

County officials said the effort to secure the federal funding involved close coordination with Centre County’s congressional representatives.

“We were able to work directly with Fetterman’s office to submit the application,” Corman said. “It was then passed on through McCormick and Thompson’s (offices), and then ultimately, just a handful of weeks ago, was successfully voted on and approved by the federal government.”

Corman and other county officials expressed gratitude to the federal representatives who were part of the team effort that helped secure the award.

“We really thank the opportunity from Senator Fetterman and Senator McCormick’s office, as well as Congressman Thompson, to really see the value and benefit of bringing that funding to our community to support our emergency responders,” she said. “This is really one of those moments where this million dollars hopefully gets to kick off further funding opportunities that our community will benefit from everyday, and every minute of everyday.”