Press Releases

Tobyhanna, PA- On Thursday, Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced nearly $155,000 in federal funding to meet the needs of the Pocono Mountain Regional EMS, which provides emergency services to Mount Pocono Borough, Barrett, Coolbaugh, Paradise, Tobyhanna, Tunkhannock, and parts of Price Townships.

The Pocono Mountain Regional EMS will receive a $154,767 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to replace aging medical equipment, specifically cardiac monitors that have been used for over a decade. The funds will be distributed via the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program.

“These new cardiac monitors will allow the Pocono Mountain Regional EMS staff to complete their jobs safely, avoiding some of the technical failures and other hazards that come with using decade-old equipment,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the Appropriations Committee. “This grant has the potential to save lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and I know it will be put to great use.”

The purpose of FEMA’s AFG program is to award competitive grants directly to fire departments, emergency medical services organizations, and state fire training academies to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of first-responder personnel. Since 2001, the AFG program has provided over $7 billion in grants to first-responder organizations to obtain much-needed emergency response equipment, personal protective equipment, firefighting and emergency vehicles, and training.