Five area counties collaborated to receive a $2.6 million grant from the Missouri 911 Service Board to implement Next Generation 911 upgrades across the region.

Local 911 coordinators from Cooper, Lafayette, Osage, Pettis, and Saline Counties all came together to form the Heartland Group to secure these grant funds to install emergency communication upgrades, ensuring faster and more reliable service for residents in the area.

The group received a total award of $2,608,571 to implement the upgrades in all five counties. Saline County E911 Director Stacie Smith says the upgrades not only include improvements to call answering systems and recording equipment, but also the implementation of text-to-911 capabilities.

The Heartland Group’s project supports an extensive network of public safety agencies, including 29 law enforcement agencies, one city utility, nine EMS agencies, four combined fire/EMS agencies, and 36 fire departments.

This grant is funding 100 percent of the upgrades to all five counties in the Heartland Group.