The Blair County commissioners said Tuesday they are poised to join a statewide effort to upgrade the 911 emergency call system, which locally has been in use for 25 years.

Blair County Public Safety Director Mark Taylor told Commissioners Bruce R. Erb, Laura Burke and Amy Webster that the project known as Next Generation 911 is something the county could not afford to do on its own.

He presented the county board with a Letter of Engagement that will go to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the organization that has oversight of efforts to replace existing systems where the equipment is near the end of its life expectancy.

The statewide efforts will transition emergency services into a system that can include “all modes of communication from the traditional wireline telephone to the most recent sensor or device,” according to PEMA’s statewide 911 plan that was developed in 2019.

Taylor said the state has contracted with Comtech Safety and Security Technologies of Seattle to develop the system.

The first step in the effort will be to examine Blair’s present system and do a site assessment.

Other counties are already on board with the PEMA program and Taylor is asking commissioners to join the state effort by signing the Letter of Engagement.

Taylor spoke to the commissioners Tuesday by telephone when they held their weekly work session.

The request by Taylor will be brought to a vote during this Thursday’s business session.

One of the points that Taylor made was that the cost of Next Generation 911 will be borne by PEMA.

All three commissioners questioned Taylor about the source of the funding for such an effort, which he called “a major project.”

Funding to support 911 systems throughout the state has traditionally come through a fee on the individual customer’s telephone bill, and Taylor said that would be the source of funding for NG911.

Erb wanted to make sure that the county’s general fund, which includes local real estate taxes, will not be burdened by joining the PEMA effort.

The 2019 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 911 plan stated that … “Across the country, consumer communications technology has outpaced improvements and capabilities in 911 and the public safety community in general.

“Pennsylvania’s 911 system must be enhanced to meet the public’s needs and expectations, and provide equal access to emergency services for at-risk communities such as the deaf and hard of hearing,” the plan stated.

It said, “NG911 is a necessary transition from Pennsylvania’s current, decades old legacy 911 system infrastructure to an internet protocol based 911 system.”

The commissioners held an hourlong meeting Tuesday and were able to address a variety of other issues, which will be voted on Thursday:

* Keller Engineers of Hollidaysburg presented plans for the acquisition of a right-of-way for improvements to Blair County Bridge 67 on West Loop Road over Old Town Run.

The bridge project is expected to cost $1,812,500, lower than the initial estimate of $2,485,000.

* A proposal was presented by the Department of Social Services to increase the fee charged by the Register and Wills and Recorder of Deeds from $7.50 to $15. The money goes into a fund earmarked to pay for the removal of blighted properties.

* The Park and Recreation Board has asked approval of more than $11,000 in grants — $3,000 to Morrisons Cove Memorial Park to install a marker and granite name slab; $3,000 to Central Blair Recreation and Park Commission to buy park benches for Juniata Memorial Park; $2,959 to purchase 10 soccer goals for the Northern Blair Recreation Center, and $2,150 for two picnic tables to be used at the Claysburg Community Park.