TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – New pagers will go to every fire company and ambulance service throughout Rensselaer County.

Senator Kathy Marchione announced that $750,000 has been set aside in the 2016-17 state budget to purchase the new Motorola Minitor Pagers.

The pagers will help enhance response times, coordination, and communication.

The public was able to get a preview on how the pagers work during a press conference held Wednesday.

“I believe the biggest job we have as a local elected official is the safety of our residents and certainly a project like this was a number one priority in the budget this year,” Sen. Marchione said.

The funding for the pagers is the final amount necessary to complete a $20 million investment by Rensselaer County to replace outdated emergency communication systems.