Date: March 23, 2009
Contact: Jen Paolucci
Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry
(570) 823-2101 ext. 124
jen@wilkes-barre.org
GREATER WILKES-BARRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMUNITY PROGRESS AWARD TO BE PRESENTED TO KINGSTON-
WILKES-BARRE, PA –The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce will present its annual Community Progress Award to the Municipality of Kingston and Forty Fort Borough, in recognition of their cooperative efforts for the Kingston – Forty Fort Fire and Emergency Services Functional Consolidation.
The award, sponsored by
This annual event provides an opportunity for area business representatives to discuss key issues with legislators. Legislators invited to the breakfast are State Senators Lisa Baker, Robert Mellow and Raphael Musto and State Representatives Karen Boback, Mike Carroll, Eddie Day Pashinski, John Yudichak, Todd Eachus, Phyllis Mundy, and Jim Wansacz.
In November of 2007, Kingston and Forty Fort established a functionally consolidated Fire and Emergency Services Department, where each department maintains its own identity and contracts, yet both function and operate as one department. This practice provides increased first-response manpower, improves efficiency in the delivery of emergency services and reduces operating overhead by consolidating all personnel into one central facility. It has also created opportunities for Kingston and Forty Fort to increase staffing at no additional cost to taxpayers.
The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber’s “Community Progress” award recognizes divisions of local government that, through their cooperative efforts, improved the quality of life, the general welfare of their residents and/or institute programs that better utilize government resources on a regional or multi-community basis.
Special consideration is given to regional economic/community development efforts that significantly improve the region’s economic health through job creation/retention and/or fostering public/private partnerships. Eligible local government entities include, but are not limited to municipalities, townships, boroughs, cities, school districts, authorities, county government and divisions of government.
The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization representing 1,100 area businesses. It is an affiliate of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, a community and economic development and business service organization charged with the mission of collaborating with community and regional partners to create quality employment and business opportunities and improve the area’s quality of life through strategic planning, programs and investments in our community. For more information, visit www.wilkes-barre.org.