PRINTER'S NO. 1306
No. 1069 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY STURLA, SOLOBAY, HUTCHINSON, MELIO, BIANCUCCI,
BISHOP, BOYD, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, CASORIO, CAUSER,
COSTA, CURRY, DALEY, DePASQUALE, DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO,
FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GALLOWAY, GEIST AND CONKLIN, APRIL 18, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, APRIL 18, 2007
AN ACT
1 Establishing a grant program for municipal fire and emergency
2 services organizations; and providing for grant funding.
3 TABLE OF CONTENTS
4 Chapter 1. Preliminary Provisions
5 Section 101. Short title.
6 Section 102. Definitions.
7 Chapter 3. Municipal Fire and Emergency Services Organization
8 Grant Program
9 Section 301. Establishment.
10 Section 302. Guidelines and procedures.
11 Section 303. Award of grants.
12 Chapter 5. Municipal Fire and Emergency Services Organization
13 Grant Program Funding Provisions
14 Section 501. Municipal Fire and Emergency Services Organization
15 Grant Program.
16 Section 502. Allocation of appropriated funds.
1 Chapter 21. Miscellaneous Provisions
2 Section 2101. Expiration of authority.
3 Section 2102. Effective date.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 CHAPTER 1
7 PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
8 Section 101. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Municipal
10 Fire and Emergency Services Organization Grant Act.
11 Section 102. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Advanced life support services." The term shall have the
16 meaning given to it in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45),
17 known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
18 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
19 "Basic life support services." The term shall have the
20 meaning given to it in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45),
21 known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
22 "Commissioner." The State Fire Commissioner.
23 "Facility." A structure or portion thereof intended for the
24 purpose of storage or protection of firefighting apparatus,
25 ambulances and rescue vehicles and related equipment and gear.
26 The term does not include meeting halls, social halls, social
27 rooms, lounges or any other facility not directly related to
28 firefighting or the furnishing of ambulance or rescue services.
29 "Grant program." The Municipal Fire and Emergency Services
30 Organization Grant Program established in Chapter 3.
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1 "Invalid coach." The term shall have the meaning given to it
2 in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the
3 Emergency Medical Services Act.
4 "Municipal fire and emergency services organization." A fire
5 department, ambulance service or rescue squad established,
6 operated and funded by a municipality within this Commonwealth
7 which provides fire protection or emergency services. Emergency
8 services provided by a municipal fire and emergency services
9 organization may include ambulance and rescue services. The
10 ambulance services may include basic life support or advanced
11 life support services and the transportation of patients within
12 this Commonwealth. The term does not include any corporation,
13 association or organization that is primarily engaged in the
14 operation of invalid coaches which are intended for the routine
15 transport of persons who are convalescent or otherwise
16 nonambulatory and do not ordinarily require emergency medical
17 treatment while in transit. The rescue services may include
18 rescue services in response to fire, vehicle accidents and water
19 rescue efforts.
20 CHAPTER 3
21 MUNICIPAL FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ORGANIZATION
22 GRANT PROGRAM
23 Section 301. Establishment.
24 The Municipal Fire and Emergency Services Organization Grant
25 Program is established and shall be administered by the agency
26 in consultation with the commissioner. Grants provided under
27 this program shall be used to improve and enhance the
28 capabilities of municipal fire and emergency services
29 organizations to provide firefighting, ambulance and rescue
30 services.
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1 Section 302. Guidelines and procedures.
2 The agency shall develop guidelines, procedures and all
3 applications necessary to implement the grant program. The
4 agency shall submit the guidelines, procedures and applications
5 to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
6 Pennsylvania Bulletin within 30 days of the effective date of
7 this section.
8 Section 303. Award of grants.
9 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
10 a grant award to each eligible municipal fire and emergency
11 services organization for the following:
12 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the municipal fire
13 and emergency services organization's facility and purchase
14 or repair of fixtures and furnishings necessary to maintain
15 or improve the capability of the municipal fire and emergency
16 services organization to provide fire, ambulance and rescue
17 services.
18 (2) Repair or purchase of firefighting, ambulance or
19 rescue equipment.
20 (3) Retirement or reduction of debt associated with
21 paragraph (1) or (2).
22 (4) Training and certification of members.
23 (b) Limits.--
24 (1) Grants shall be not less than $10,000 and not more
25 than $1,000,000 per municipal fire and emergency services
26 organization.
27 (2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
28 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
29 amount of funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this
30 purpose.
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1 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
2 (1) The agency shall provide written instructions and
3 guidelines for grants under this chapter to the fire chief
4 and president of each municipal fire and emergency services
5 organization in this Commonwealth within 60 days of the
6 effective date of this section.
7 (2) Municipal fire and emergency services organizations
8 seeking grants under this chapter shall submit completed
9 applications to the agency on or before December 31, 2007.
10 The agency shall act to approve or disapprove the application
11 by May 1, 2008. Applications which have not been approved or
12 disapproved by the agency by May 1, 2008, shall be deemed
13 approved.
14 (d) Eligibility.--To receive grant funds under this chapter,
15 a municipal fire and emergency services organization shall have
16 actively responded to one or more fire or rescue emergencies
17 since July 1, 2005, and must sign an agreement to actively
18 participate in the Pennsylvania Fire Information Reporting
19 System.
20 CHAPTER 5
21 MUNICIPAL FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES ORGANIZATION
22 GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING PROVISIONS
23 Section 501. Municipal Fire and Emergency Services Organization
24 Grant Program.
25 The sum of $8,000,000 of the amount appropriated to the
26 agency for the Municipal Fire and Emergency Services
27 Organization Grant Program shall be expended for the purpose of
28 making grants to eligible municipal fire and emergency services
29 organizations pursuant to Chapter 3.
30 Section 502. Allocation of appropriated funds.
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1 No moneys from the appropriation for municipal fire and
2 emergency services organization grants shall be used for
3 expenses or costs incurred by the agency for the administration
4 of the grant program authorized under Chapter 3.
5 CHAPTER 21
6 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
7 Section 2101. Expiration of authority.
8 The authority of the agency to award grants under Chapter 3
9 shall expire June 30, 2008.
10 Section 2102. Effective date.
11 This act shall take effect immediately.
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