PRINTER'S NO. 1890
No. 326 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY SOLOBAY, BELFANTI, BEYER, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI,
CASORIO, CAUSER, CLYMER, COHEN, CREIGHTON, DALEY, DeLUCA,
DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, J. EVANS, FABRIZIO, GALLOWAY, GEIST,
GEORGE, GIBBONS, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GRELL, GRUCELA, HARHAI,
HARHART, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HUTCHINSON, M. KELLER,
KING, KOTIK, KULA, LEACH, LENTZ, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, MANTZ,
MARSHALL, MILLARD, MILNE, MOUL, MOYER, MUNDY, MUSTIO, MYERS,
NAILOR, PALLONE, PAYNE, PETRARCA, PRESTON, RAMALEY, READSHAW,
REICHLEY, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO,
STABACK, R. STEVENSON, SURRA, R. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TRUE, VEREB,
VULAKOVICH, WALKO, J. WHITE, YOUNGBLOOD, BEAR, RAPP, FREEMAN
AND SIPTROTH, JUNE 13, 2007
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JUNE 13, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Supporting the third annual International Fire and EMS
2 (Emergency Medical Services) Safety Stand Down during the
3 week of June 17 through 23, 2007, encouraging Pennsylvania
4 fire and EMS departments to participate in the event and
5 calling for renewed efforts to reduce firefighter and EMS
6 provider fatalities and injuries and to establish safety as a
7 priority for fire service and EMS programs in this
8 Commonwealth.
9 WHEREAS, For more than 288 years, since the first municipal
10 fire truck in Pennsylvania was purchased in Philadelphia,
11 firefighters in this Commonwealth have dedicated their lives to
12 ensuring the safety of their fellow citizens and communities;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, Throughout the history of this Commonwealth, many
15 volunteer and career firefighters have served with pride and
1 died with honor in the line of duty, leaving behind family
2 members and friends to grieve their tragic losses; and
3 WHEREAS, Fire does not distinguish between career and
4 volunteer firefighters, and Pennsylvania ranks near the top
5 nationally in the number of firefighters who die in the line of
6 duty, having lost more than 235 firefighters since 1981; and
7 WHEREAS, EMS is a vital public service nationwide: 891,000
8 EMS professionals provide quality emergency care and 16.2
9 million patients are transported by ambulance annually; and
10 WHEREAS, The members of EMS teams are dedicated to saving
11 lives and often put their own lives on hold as they respond to
12 medical emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which
13 response dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of
14 persons who experience sudden illness or injury; and
15 WHEREAS, It is appropriate to recognize the value and the
16 accomplishments of EMS providers and their integral role in
17 emergency response by including them in this year's Stand Down;
18 and
19 WHEREAS, Themed "Ready to Respond," this year's Stand Down
20 focuses on preparing firefighters and EMS providers for their
21 daily duties by reviewing their training and the proper use of
22 equipment to ensure safe response, mitigation and return from
23 all emergency situations; and
24 WHEREAS, Failure to remain cautious can cause routine
25 activities to become hazardous, as has been shown in the many
26 fire service and EMS line-of-duty deaths and injuries; and
27 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth must establish firefighter and EMS
28 provider safety as a priority in order to reduce fire service
29 and EMS fatalities and injuries; and
30 WHEREAS, All Commonwealth departments are urged to use the
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1 2007 Stand Down to keep the focus on the safety and well-being
2 of our first responders, to review operations, to make sure
3 everyone is ready to respond and to recommit to working safely
4 and performing duties in the safest manner possible; and
5 WHEREAS, Stand-downs have been used by the military for years
6 to correct known problems throughout the ranks; and
7 WHEREAS, Partners in the 2007 Stand Down are the Canadian
8 Association of Fire Chiefs, the Congressional Fire Services
9 Institute, the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association, the
10 Fire Department Safety Officers Association, the Fire and
11 Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association, the
12 International Association of Arson Investigators, the
13 International Code Council, the National Association of Hispanic
14 Firefighters, the National Association of State Fire Marshals,
15 the National Association of State Foresters, the National Fallen
16 Firefighters Association, the National Fire Protection
17 Association, the National Volunteer Fire Council, the National
18 Wildfire Coordinating Group, the North American Fire Training
19 Directors and the United States Fire Association; and
20 WHEREAS, To build upon the estimated 10,000 fire departments
21 that participated in last year's Stand Down, the International
22 Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the International Association
23 of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the IAFC Volunteer and Combination
24 Officers Section (VCOS) and their partners urge all fire and EMS
25 departments, whether career, volunteer or a combination, to
26 suspend all nonemergency activity and focus entirely on proper
27 training and equipage; and
28 WHEREAS, The Office of the State Fire Commissioner fully
29 supports the goals and efforts of this year's Stand Down;
30 therefore be it
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1 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support IAFC,
2 IAFF and VCOS and their partners in the third annual
3 International Fire and EMS Safety Stand Down during the week of
4 June 17 through 23, 2007, encourage Pennsylvania fire and EMS
5 departments to participate in the event and call for renewed
6 efforts to reduce firefighter and EMS provider fatalities and
7 injuries and to establish safety as a priority for fire service
8 and EMS programs in this Commonwealth.
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