WARREN TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Somerset County) — U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. presented $900,000 in federal funding to Warren Township on Thursday to upgrade aging police communications equipment used by local first responders.
The funding was secured through the fiscal year 2026 Community Project Funding process and will be used to modernize the Warren Township Police Department’s central dispatch system and related communications infrastructure.
Township officials said the department’s communications equipment is more than 25 years old and lacks modern multi-band capability and sufficient range, limiting interoperability with neighboring municipalities during emergencies. The township’s dispatch center handles communications for police, fire and emergency medical services.
“Reliable communication is the backbone of effective emergency response. As technology advances, we must ensure our first responders are equipped with the modern tools they need to best protect their community,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “I am pleased to deliver this $900,000 federal grant to Warren Township so officers can communicate seamlessly, coordinate more effectively, and stay safe while serving their residents in the field.”
Mayor Shaun Fine said the funding will improve response times and coordination.
“The safety of the residents is a priority for me,” said Warren Township Mayor Shaun Fine. “Warren’s dedicated dispatch department, which many municipalities don’t have, allows for quicker and more complete responses by the officers. I sincerely appreciate Congressman Kean for strengthening our safety by providing us with this funding to allow for a needed upgrade of our dispatching technology.”
Police Chief Robert W. Ferreiro said the upgrades will strengthen communications across agencies.
“Warren Twp. PD is grateful to Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. and his long-term commitment to public safety in Warren Township. Congressman Kean has been a staunch and vocal supporter of first responders, and this funding allows us to modernize critical communications infrastructure supporting our Police Department, Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and Emergency Medical Services (EMS),” said Warren Township Chief of Police Robert W. Ferreiro. “It also strengthens interoperability with our public safety and law enforcement partners ensuring faster, safer, and more coordinated responses when seconds matter.”
State Assemblyman Andrew Macurdy also praised the funding.
“I am grateful for these resources going towards enhancing security in Warren and the 21st Legislative District,” said State Assemblyman Andrew Macurdy. “As a former federal and state prosecutor, I have seen firsthand how effective communication and dispatch systems are crucial to public safety. Today, the effects of law enforcement and first responder efforts are increasingly felt across jurisdictions. By providing Chief Ferreiro, his police department, and all our first responders in Warren Township the tools necessary to protect residents, it will make people safer in Warren and beyond.”
During the visit, Chief Ferreiro presented Kean with a challenge coin and read a letter of appreciation on behalf of the department and township residents.
Kean’s office said he has secured more than $12 million for police departments across New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District since taking office. All 15 projects he submitted through the fiscal year 2026 Community Project Funding process have passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
