Emergency communications capabilities across South Dakota will be upgraded with the help of state Homeland Security grants.

The office is distributing more than $4.8 million to 49 counties to purchase radio systems capable of communicating among various agencies and departments.

State Homeland Security director John Berheim said those intercommunications connections are vital in times of disaster or emergency.

"This might not sound like a big deal. However, during any incident, the ability to communicate with all involved is the key to an efficient and successful response," he said.

Berheim said the Homeland Security Office will reimburse counties for 80 percent of the cost of the new equipment, and they will be responsible for the rest.

The counties participating in the grant program include Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Deuel, Dewey, Douglas, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Haakon, Hand, Hanson, Harding, Hughes, Hutchinson, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, Lawrence, Lyman, McCook, McPherson, Meade, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Pennington, Perkins, Potter, Roberts, Spink, Stanley, Sully Tripp, Turner, Union, Walworth, Yankton and Ziebach.