PRINTER'S NO. 3391
No. 2560 Session of 1978
INTRODUCED BY A. C. FOSTER JR., MANDERINO, A. K. HUTCHINSON,
SCIRICA, O'CONNELL, DORR, LEHR, CESSAR, KOLTER, RUGGIERO AND
MELUSKEY, JUNE 12, 1978
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JUNE 12, 1978
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 18, 1941 (P.L.137, No.74), entitled "An
2 act providing for the appointment, powers and control of
3 members of volunteer fire companies as special fire police,
4 and conferring powers on them at fires attended by their fire
5 companies in any city, borough, town and township," further
6 providing for the powers of special fire police.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 1, act of June 18, 1941 (P.L.137, No.74),
10 entitled "An act providing for the appointment, powers and
11 control of members of volunteer fire companies as special fire
12 police, and conferring powers on them at fires attended by their
13 fire companies in any city, borough, town and township," amended
14 August 10, 1959 (P.L.656, No.209), is amended to read:
15 Section 1. Any volunteer fire company in any city, borough,
16 town or township may nominate any of its members as special fire
17 police. All special fire police so nominated shall, before they
18 enter upon their duties as such, be confirmed by the mayor of
19 the city, the burgess of the borough or town, or the chairman of
1 the board of commissioners or supervisors of the township, as
2 the case may be. When so confirmed and sworn and displaying a
3 badge of authority they shall have full power to regulate
4 traffic and keep crowds under control at or in the vicinity of
5 any fire on which their companies are in attendance and to
6 exercise such other police powers as are necessary in order to
7 facilitate and prevent interference with the work of firemen in
8 extinguishing fires and, in addition, shall have all police
9 powers necessary to perform their duties when functioning as
10 special fire police at [parades, accidents, floods, or other
11 emergencies, or at any public function conducted by or under the
12 auspices of any volunteer fire company, at the request of the
13 governing body of any such municipality, and when so functioning
14 as special fire police shall be deemed to be performing the
15 duties of their employment.] and in addition, shall have the
16 police powers necessary to perform their duties when functioning
17 as special fire police at any function, event, or parade
18 conducted by, and under the auspices of, any volunteer fire
19 company, or any other event, function, or parade conducted by an
20 organization other than a volunteer fire company, providing the
21 request to perform these duties is made by the governing body of
22 the city, borough, town, or township in which the event will be
23 conducted, or when accidents, floods, or any other emergencies
24 require performance of duties to prevent further injury or loss
25 of life or property. Such duties may be performed without prior
26 requests from any governing body until the arrival of proper
27 State, city, borough, town, or township police authority or
28 until the emergency no longer exists. A person functioning as
29 special fire police, and performing a duty under any of the
30 above conditions, shall be deemed to be performing the duties of
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1 his employment.
2 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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