PRINTER'S NO. 760
No. 673 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY MANN, SAMUELSON, BEYER, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE,
CASORIO, CREIGHTON, DALEY, FABRIZIO, GEIST, GEORGE, GERGELY,
GIBBONS, GINGRICH, KING, MELIO, PETRONE, RAPP, SCAVELLO,
SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, WANSACZ AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 9, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MARCH 9, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, providing for fire company reduction
3 and closure provisions for municipalities.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 2962 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
8 § 2962. Limitation on municipal powers.
9 * * *
10 (d.1) Reduction of fire protection.--A municipality shall
11 not reduce or eliminate any ladder or engine company without
12 first satisfying each of the following criteria:
13 (1) In the event that the municipality seeks to reduce
14 or eliminate any engine or ladder company, the municipality
15 must provide written notice of the proposed reduction or
16 elimination to all firefighters and paramedics assigned to
17 the affected company, to any labor organizations representing
1 affected firefighters and paramedics and to all citizens
2 served by the affected company. In order to notify the
3 public, the municipality may place an advertisement in a
4 newspaper of general circulation within the affected area.
5 (2) In the event that the municipality seeks to reduce
6 or eliminate any engine or ladder company, it must first
7 commission and complete a study of the proposed reduction,
8 which shall include, but not be limited to, detailed
9 projections of the savings to be achieved by the proposed
10 reduction or closure, and analyses of the impact of the
11 proposed reduction on emergency response time, delivery of
12 emergency services to the public, homeowner fire insurance
13 premium coverage implications and safety of firefighters,
14 paramedics and citizens. An independent third party shall
15 conduct the impact study which shall be released no earlier
16 than 90 days from the date of commission. Once the study has
17 been completed, it shall be made immediately available to
18 labor organization representatives, the Office of the State
19 Fire Commissioner and to any other interested party that
20 requests a copy.
21 (3) No less than 60 days nor more than 75 days after
22 receipt of the study by the labor organization
23 representatives and the Office of the State Fire
24 Commissioner, the municipality shall hold public hearings in
25 order to receive feedback on the proposed reduction in fire
26 protection services and on the results of the impact study.
27 The municipality shall also accept written responses to the
28 findings contained in the impact study.
29 (4) The provisions of this subsection shall be
30 applicable to all municipalities, notwithstanding the fact
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1 that such municipalities, after the effective date of this
2 subsection, may have adopted or amended a home rule charter.
3 * * *
4 Section 2. This act shall be retroactive to June 1, 2004.
5 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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