Just in time for winter, New York state is moving ahead with plans for a new emergency management computer system intended to help authorities around the state improve their response to extreme weather and other emergencies.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office on Monday announced that all county emergency management agencies are now connected to the state’s emergency management operations center through the system known as NY Responds.

When fully operational, the $1.5 million program will integrate phones, radio, video and online data and mapping software into a single, comprehensive site, replacing the patchwork of sometimes unwieldy systems used by local governments.

The state is also installing a series of weather sensors around the state to monitor conditions to aide in disaster response.

(AP)