Council approves purchase of new equipment for fire department

WILKES-BARRE — Wilkes-Barre Fire Department will soon have some new gear to better prepare for emergency situations in the city, including any that may arise at Luzerne County Transportation Authority’s (LCTA) new $81 million facility on South Pennsylvania Avenue.

City Council at Thursday’s regular meeting voted to approve the purchase of new equipment from JALVO Inc. and Witner Public Safety Group Inc. for a total of $22,083.68, with LCTA reimbursing the city for the full expense.

According to documents provided in the agenda, the new gear would include a number of things, such as a kit that provides firefighters with emergency breathing air, as well as a gas leak detection device.

Mayor George Brown at Tuesday’s work session explained that the purchase of new equipment was discussed with Wilkes-Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney during construction of the complex and was deemed necessary in order to better protect both the new building and the workers in case of a fire or any other kind of emergency.

The multi-million dollar facility, which broke ground in December 2021, will consolidate the fixed route operations in Kingston and Shared Ride Program based in Forty Fort.

According the LCTA, the building is expected to officially open sometime later this summer.

General Municipal Authority seats

Several seats on the General Municipal Authority, which manages Wilkes-Barre Municipal Golf Course, were filled Thursday as well, with the council voting to re-appointment John Livingston, Charles Majikes and Ed Pesotski. Livingston’s term will expire Dec. 31, 2027, and both Majik’s and Pesotski’s terms will expire Dec. 31, 2028.

New appointments included Thomas Robinson, replacing Attilio Frati who moved out of the city, and Robert Reilly, replacing Gerard Meehan, whose term previously expired. Both Robinson and Reilly’s terms will expire on Dec. 31, 2027.

Public Comment

Several attendees brought their grievances to council’s attention during Thursday’s public comment section, including Gerry Reisinger, a chiropractor from Kingston, who urged council to “clean up” the riverfront in both Nesbitt and Kirby Park, which he said has turned into a “crime zone.”

While he was concerned about drug use he’d witnessed in the area, he also brought up issues he saw with a supposed lack of maintenance in the parks, which Reisinger said has contributed to overgrown trees and has negatively impacted water flow.

“We need to make it nice for our community again,” Reisinger said, noting that he also believed the city could be doing a better job at helping those in the homeless community who often take shelter in the park.

Brown responded to Reisinger’s concerns by bringing his attention the $109, 500 in American Rescue Plan funds the city awarded to Keystone Mission, a faith-based nonprofit, back in April.

Brown plans to officially present that check, which will help the shelter expand its hours overnight, to the organization on June 17.

While Brown acknowledged that he couldn’t make people go to the shelter, he was hopeful that it would provide a safe haven for people who did want to go.

Reisinger agreed that was a step in the right direction, but it did not address all of his concerns.

Wilkes-Barre City Council next meet at 6 p.m. July 9 for its monthly work session.