In 2007, the governor signed into law a bill that breathed new life into the state’s Volunteer Fire Company and Ambulance Service Grant Program, extending program funding for five years through 2012. I’m proud to have cosponsored and voted for that bill.

The grant program has proven to be the lifeblood of many volunteer fire and ambulance companies all across Pennsylvania, and by installing funding for five years, rather than revisiting the issue each year, the new law gives you and your fellow first responders peace of mind that money is going to be available for your needs.

Under this new law, legislators will review and make any necessary changes every five years before reinstating the funding, which was doubled to $50 million for the 2007-08 grant period. In coming years, $25 million in gaming revenues will fund the grant program. And, in 2012, legislators will review and alter the program as needed before reactivating it.

Given the vital nature of legislation like this, I wanted to share with you other important work your legislators are doing to improve and aid volunteer fire company and ambulance services across the state. The bills are listed with a short description and their prime sponsors.

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Volunteer fire and EMS companies save Pennsylvania taxpayers $6 billion each year. You have a tough job and I am proud to fight for legislation that shows my support and helps you serve our communities.

Loan and Grant programs

Act 10 of 2007 (Lentz) renewed the Volunteer Fire Company and the Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant program for five years. The program provides grants to volunteer fire, rescue and emergency medical services organizations for the acquisition or upgrading of equipment, the training of volunteers, the construction or renovation of primary buildings, or the reduction of debt from previous qualified purchases.

• Signed into law by Gov. Rendell on June 28, 2007

H.B. 852 (Haluska) would create the Fire and Emergency Service Grant Program to provide firefighters and emergency personnel with grants up to $30,000 to help them obtain essential fire safety and emergency service equipment.

Reducing expenses

H.B. 1197 and H.B. 2096 (Kula) are companion bills that would permit volunteer fire companies to receive telecommunications and electric and natural gas services at residential rates, making rates for telephone service, Internet access and utilities more affordable.

H.B. 1411 and H.B. 1412 (Solobay) are companion bills to assist municipalities that receive low state reimbursements for fire services from the 2 percent tax charged by out-of-state insurance companies on fire insurance premiums paid by Pennsylvania residents and businesses. Those funds are distributed to municipalities for fire services based on the population and real estate market value of the municipality. Under H.B. 1411, in years when the state takes in more than current levels, the surplus would be spread equally among municipalities that would normally receive less than $10,000. H.B. 1412 would require surplus funds be used to purchase or maintain life and safety insurance policies for volunteer firefighters.

H.B. 1350 (Lentz) would help firefighters continue to protect their communities by allowing volunteer fire companies to assess a fee for reasonable costs involved in responding to an emergency situation. The fee could be waived if the individual or business has donated within the past year to a fire department fund drive, or has paid taxes to a municipality that dedicates a portion of its taxes to the volunteer fire department.

H.B. 378 (Tangretti) would allow volunteer firefighters’ relief association funds to be used to cover reasonable expenses incurred in EMT training, such as basic life support and advanced life support. Current law allows relief association funding to be used only for firefighting and rescue training.

H.B. 183 (Solobay) would allow third class cities to impose a fire tax of up to 3 mills for firefighting purposes and a tax of up to one-half mill to support ambulance, rescue and other emergency services.

Fundraising Legislation

H.B. 2204 (Walko) would increase the limits on how much volunteer fire companies and other nonprofit organizations can earn from bingo, raffles and pull-tab games. The bill would increase the maximum payout per day from $4,000 to $10,000; allow organizations to have bingo up to four days a week, up from the current limit of two; and allow progressive jackpots of up to $50,000.

• Passed by the House; awaiting action in the Senate.

H.B. 1663 (Caltagirone) – Nonprofit associations, including volunteer firefighters, often raise money for charitable events by holding raffles, drawings and small games of chance. This bill would add sports pool betting to the list of allowable games.

H.B. 1465 (Caltagirone) would authorize fire halls licensed under the Liquor Code to operate video poker machines. Under the bill, a maximum of five video draw poker machines could be operated.

H.B. 947 (Pallone) would allow volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance companies to conduct poker tournaments to raise funds exclusively for projects that help them serve the public interest. Entry fees would be capped at $100. Players could not bet more than $5 per hand, and total raises could not exceed $5. Organizations would be permitted to keep 25 percent of the entry fees collected.

At the local level

Act 7, Act 8 and Act 9 of 2008 (Melio) requires that first- and second-class townships and boroughs be responsible for ensuring that fire and emergency services are available to all residents within their jurisdiction. The intent is to make sure all communities are adequately covered by the appropriate emergency services and fire personnel. It may mean they have their own volunteer departments or are in need of a neighboring municipality’s services.

• Signed into law by Gov. Rendell on March 17, 2008

H.B. 2074, H.B. 2083 and H.B. 2110 (Conklin) would add a surcharge of up to $200, in addition to any fines or fees already prescribed by law, for certain alcohol related convictions. The legislation would require the new surcharges to be allocated to support programs that promote public safety or protection, such as police and fire departments, that serve the municipality where the police action took place.

H.B. 2310 (Hornaman) would allow local governments that collect an earned income tax to give volunteer firefighters a tax credit based on their service.

Protecting our volunteer firefighters

H.B. 2131 (Petrone) calls for a 0.5 percent increase in the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax levied on the gross premiums on fire and casualty insurance companies resulting from business conducted in Pennsylvania. By increasing the tax to 2.5 percent, the Commonwealth could raise an additional $20 million annually to offer volunteer firefighters the same health insurance coverage that is currently only provided to state workers.

H.B. 1768 (Caltagirone) would enable firefighters with at least four years of service who develop lung cancer due to heat, smoke, fumes or gases to qualify automatically for workers’ compensation benefits.

H.B. 1272 (Kessler) would make volunteer members of emergency management teams of local governments eligible for workers’ compensation when injured in the line of duty.

H.B. 905 (King) would create the Volunteer Firefighter Tax Relief Fund, authorizing a tax credit for volunteer firefighters for purposes of personal income tax.

H.B. 724 (Haluska) would provide state benefits to the spouse, children or parents of a member of a hazardous material response team killed in the line of duty.

H.B. 705 (Santoni) would prohibit insurers from increasing premiums and cancelling insurance policies on the basis of an insured’s assessment of risk as a volunteer emergency services person.

H.B. 105 (Melio) would make it illegal for volunteer firefighters, rescue personnel or fire police to be fired from their job if they lost time because they were responding to a call or were in the line of duty.

Operations

H.B. 1566 (Lentz) would distribute grants to assist local fire companies in consolidating operations and maximizing protection of local communities. It would allow neighboring fire companies to merge in order to save costs and share equipment for the benefit of the community.

H.B. 673 (Mann) would prohibit municipalities from reducing the size of or eliminating any ladder or engine company without providing written notice of the proposal to all firefighters and paramedics assigned to the station and to all citizens served by the affected company.

H.B. 1598 (Siptroth) would allow local emergency management coordinators to use blue emergency lights on their vehicles at specified times.

H.B. 2197 (Ramaley) would lower the blood alcohol content allowance for drivers of emergency vehicles from 0.08 to .02 percent.

Recognizing Heroes

H.B. 1033 (Shimkus) would designate September 11 of each year as "Pennsylvania Emergency Responders’ Day."

• Passed by the House; awaiting action in the Senate.

H.R. 216 (Daley) urges Congress to designate September 11 as "National Emergency Responders' Day," declaring September 11 as “Pennsylvania Emergency Responders’ Day" and recognizing emergency responders for their valuable service.

• Passed by the House on July 5,2007; awaiting Senate action.