Albany County 911 center to take emergency calls from Menands

MENANDS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Emergency calls from Menands will now be handled by the Albany County 911 Center. The county sheriff's office opened a new communications center in Clarksville in 2023.

It allows callers to communicate with video and text messages. Menands officials said they have struggled to staff their own center.

A few other communities, including Cohoes, Watervliet, and Green Island have already partnered with the county to help surrounding departments coordinate during an emergency.

"We now have faster, better abilities to communicate within municipal agencies and offer each rapid mutual aid when necessary," Menands Mayor Bryan Marsh said.

Officials said the move will save Menands taxpayers more than $100,000 on emergency response costs.