Press Releases

Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-08) and Moosic Mayor Robert Bennie revealed preliminary plans for a joint fire, police and public safety station in Moosic at a press conference held today at the Greenwood Hose Company.

The $3 million Community Project Funding secured by Cartwright will support the construction of a new, centrally located facility that will surpass the capacity of existing facilities and adequately serve and protect the borough by bringing fire and police services together under one roof. The Moosic Police Department recently had to close its headquarters due to mold while the Greenwood Fire Department is unable to store its engine properly due to space constraints.

“Right now, Moosic’s police and fire departments are working tirelessly to keep up with the demands of the job despite challenges with their facilities,” Rep. Cartwright said.

“We’re lucky that we have such capable and dedicated first responders who are always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty, and they deserve the facilities and equipment they need to do their jobs effectively.”

The Moosic project involves the demolition of the existing Greenwood Hose Company structure and replacing it with a combination fire/police headquarters. The Moosic Police Department is currently operating out of two mobile command units in the station’s parking lot due to the mold issues.

With a construction timeline of 18 months, the new police headquarters will include larger work areas, more room to conduct interviews, a larger evidence room with ventilation, a firearms locker and additional holding cells.

When it comes to the fire department, extensive remodeling is required because fire-fighting equipment and vehicles are significantly larger than when the Greenwood Hose Company station was first built in the 1970s. Moosic, as a community, has also significantly grown since then.  

The existing fire station also lacks an area for firefighters to remove their gear and segregate it from exhaust fumes. Fires can leave carcinogens on firefighting gear, with recent studies raising concerns about cancer risks from exposure to such carcinogens. The new firehouse will address those concerns.

“We are grateful for the efforts of Congressman Cartwright to secure this much-needed funding,” Mayor Bennie said. “This project will go a long way when it comes to improving our emergency response services and keeping our residents safe.”

In 2021, Congressman Cartwright brought home a total of $19.6 million in funding for all of his community projects, the highest amount by a Pennsylvania congressman. This year, he designated $61 million to projects throughout the 8^th District.

For the entire Congress, Community Project Funding designations are approved by the 12 chairs of the House Appropriations Committee, of which Cartwright is one.

“We did well last year,” Congressman Cartwright said. "I am thrilled to build off last year’s success with a new round of $61 million in project funding designations for fiscal year 2023 that’s aimed at creating jobs, driving local economic growth and improving the quality of life for our communities.”

Public safety has been a common theme for Cartwright when it comes to his Community Project Funding efforts. His designations specific to police, firefighter and emergency response services include:

Fiscal Year 2022

$2.1 million for the City of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania’s Community Policing Technology and Equipment Initiative

This project involves the improvement of community policing efforts by purchasing new tasers and dash cameras that are synced with the police officers’ body cameras  as well as the ShotSpotter Respond system, the leading gunshot detection, location and forensic system.

$2 million for the Lackawanna County Gun and Gang Reduction and Intelligence Project (GGRIP)

This project will develop a targeted and multifaceted approach to aggressively combating violent drug, gang and gun violence within Lackawanna County. It also allows for the hiring of additional law enforcement and legal staff and the purchase of the resources and technology needed to achieve these goals, while ensuring the security of local law enforcement.

$1 million for Shared West End Emergency Services Facility, Monroe County

This project involves the building of a new Shared Emergency Services Facility that would serve as an all-in-one facility with space for the West End Volunteer Fire Company, West End Community Ambulance Association, and a Regional West End Emergency Operations Center that would serve Chestnuthill, Jackson, Eldred, Ross, Polk and Hamilton Townships and provide an administrative backup location for the Monroe County Control Center as well as the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management.

Fiscal Year 2023

$3.5 million for City of Scranton and Scranton Police Department

This project will help improve the Scranton Police Department’s community policing efforts by purchasing new body cameras, mobile video recorders and tasers. The new equipment and technology will allow the Scranton Police Department to manage the use of force reporting, direct supervisor audits of specific incident types and add virtual reality and other training modules for officers.

$3 million for Archbald Borough Fire and Police Emergency Operations Center

This project is for building a new, multi-jurisdictional Fire and Police Emergency Operations Center (EOC)in Archbald Borough that will be multifaceted and centrally located within the community. The EOC will serve as a central command and control facility responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management functions. It will also ensure the continuous operation of all borough emergency medical services, fire services and regional police departments.

$2.5 million for the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office

This project for the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office supports a collaborative effort to create a county-wide unit of first responders from multiple jurisdictions to respond to emergency situations, handle complex investigations, and assist smaller departments with major cases. The Emergency Services Unit (ESU) will include major case investigators, cell phone analyzers and a crisis intervention team to respond to incidents involving individuals with mental health issues and emergency responders trained in responding to high-risk incidents including those involving barricaded gunmen and active shooters. The ESU will be designed to protect the public from violent incidents and to investigate and prosecute criminal offenders.