PRINTER'S NO. 472
No. 408 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY DALLY, BAKER, BALDWIN, BARD, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, BROWNE, BUXTON, CAPPELLI, CAUSER, CAWLEY,
CIVERA, CLYMER, COSTA, COY, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CURRY, DeLUCA,
DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FORCIER,
FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOODMAN,
GORDNER, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARHART, HARRIS, HASAY, HENNESSEY,
HERMAN, HERSHEY, HESS, HORSEY, HUTCHINSON, KELLER, KIRKLAND,
KOTIK, LAUGHLIN, LEH, LEWIS, MAHER, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK,
MARSICO, McCALL, McGEEHAN, McGILL, McILHATTAN, MELIO,
R. MILLER, S. MILLER, MYERS, NAILOR, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PAYNE,
PETRARCA, PHILLIPS, PISTELLA, READSHAW, ROBERTS, ROSS,
RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER,
SCRIMENTI, SHANER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, R. STEVENSON,
SURRA, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, WALKO,
WANSACZ, WATSON, WOJNAROSKI, YEWCIC, YOUNGBLOOD AND ZUG,
FEBRUARY 24, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, FEBRUARY 24, 2003
AN ACT
1 Establishing a grant program for fire companies to purchase or
2 receive reimbursement for the cost of thermal imaging
3 cameras; providing for the powers and duties of the Office of
4 the State Fire Commissioner; and making an appropriation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Fire Company
9 Thermal Imaging Camera Grant Program Act.
10 Section 2. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
1 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
2 context clearly indicates otherwise:
3 "Fire company." A municipal fire department or volunteer
4 fire department which provides fire protection services within
5 this Commonwealth.
6 "Office." The Office of the State Fire Commissioner within
7 the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
8 "Thermal imaging camera." A hand-held or helmet-mounted
9 camera that uses a thermal imaging system in order for a person
10 to view objects through smoke or darkness and that conforms to
11 specifications approved by the Office of the State Fire
12 Commissioner, in consultation with fire companies.
13 Section 3. Thermal imaging camera grant program.
14 (a) Authorization.--The office shall administer a thermal
15 imaging camera grant program, under which grants shall be made
16 available to fire companies that apply for financial assistance
17 for:
18 (1) the purchase of thermal imaging cameras; or
19 (2) the reimbursement of the cost of thermal imaging
20 cameras for which the fire companies expended public funds
21 other than State funds.
22 (b) Grant amounts.--A grant awarded under this act shall not
23 exceed $5,000.
24 (c) Grant application and agreement.--
25 (1) In order to receive a grant under this act, a fire
26 company must file an application, on a form prescribed by the
27 office, and must execute a grant agreement with the office.
28 (2) The grant agreement shall provide that if the grant
29 is for the purchase of a thermal imaging camera, the fire
30 company will use the grant moneys to purchase the camera
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1 under the Statewide contract described in subsection (d).
2 (d) Statewide contract.--
3 (1) The office shall solicit competitive bids and shall
4 award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder for thermal
5 imaging cameras. The contract shall provide that the price
6 will be offered to any fire company that receives a grant
7 under this act and that seeks to purchase a thermal imaging
8 camera with the grant.
9 (2) Except as provided in subsection (c)(2), no fire
10 company shall be required to purchase a thermal imaging
11 camera from the Statewide contract entered into in accordance
12 with this subsection.
13 (e) Matching funds.--The office may, in its discretion,
14 require that as a condition of receiving a grant under this act
15 a fire company provide matching funds, other than State moneys,
16 of an amount up to, but not in excess of, the grant amount
17 sought in the application. The amount of matching funds required
18 by the office shall be the same regardless of whether the fire
19 company seeks the grant for either the purchase or reimbursement
20 for the cost of a thermal imaging camera.
21 Section 4. Rules and regulations.
22 The office shall prescribe such rules and regulations as are
23 necessary or convenient for the implementation of this act.
24 Section 5. Appropriation.
25 The sum of $12,500,000 is hereby appropriated to the Office
26 of the State Fire Commissioner for the fiscal year July 1, 2003,
27 to June 30, 2004, to award imaging camera grants under this act.
28 Section 6. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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