A substantial federal grant for upgrading Carbon County’s 9-1-1 dispatching system was announced on Friday, as well as funding for new computers in the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.

Both grants were announced by U.S. Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, R-7.

One of the grants totals $2.1 million and will help the communications center migrate from an analog to a digital radio system, enabling not only better communication service within the county for emergency responders, but it will provide instant transmission capabilities with neighboring counties and outside agencies.

The other grant totals $60,000 and will upgrade outdated and incompatible Toughbook computers in the office of Carbon County Sheriff Daniel G. Ziegler.

The grants were announced during a gathering of Carbon County government officials, state Rep. Doyle Heffley, police chiefs, fire department personnel and ambulance responders in the office of Carbon County Emergency Management Director Zack Gilbert.

Carbon County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said that because of the grant, long anticipated upgrades to the comm center dispatching can proceed and be completed by the end of the year — possibly even within a few months.

Prior to the announcement, Mackenzie was given a tour of the 9-1-1 Center and congratulated the dispatchers for their dedicated service.

Nothstein, besides being a commissioner, has been a volunteer firefighter for 55 years. He voiced his appreciation to Mackenzie for the funding, telling him the money “is a big help for us.”

He said the funding doesn’t cover the entire cost for the upgrade; that some local fire departments may have to obtain updated radios. He said portable radios for volunteers cost about $10,000 each while mobile radios used in apparatus can cost $18,000 to $20,000 each.

The grant will provide for improving the dispatching of not only fire departments but also police, ambulances and the sheriff’s office, Nothstein said.

Also indicating their gratitude were Commissioner Michael Sofranko and Ziegler, the sheriff.

Heffley said another aspect of the upgrades to 9-1-1 is that dispatchers will be able to better pinpoint where to send emergency responders.

Gilbert said when he received the email from Mackenzie announcing the grant, “It makes you feel kind of good about a congressman when you get an email that states, ‘this grant approval was just signed by the President of the United States.’ ”

Mackenzie said to everyone at the 9-1-1 Center, as well as to all emergency responders, “We thank you for your dedication, your bravery, your sacrifice, including the sacrifice made by your family members.”

He said he saw firsthand the commitment by the volunteers when he visited the area last march during the Bear Mountain wildfire, which consumed 550 acres and burned for several days. “I was able to see an experience the great work Gary (Williams) and his staff do,” he said.

Nothstein said the improved radio system will help the county prepare for an emergency of virtually any magnitude.