1Providing for reimbursement to certain emergency services
2providers of the cost of responding to a request for
3emergency services on certain State-owned lands.

4The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5hereby enacts as follows:

6Section 1. Short title.

7This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emergency
8Services Provider Reimbursement Act.

9Section 2. Definitions.

10The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12context clearly indicates otherwise:

13"Department." The Department of Conservation and Natural 
14Resources of the Commonwealth.

15"Emergency communication center." An officially recognized 
16and approved Federal, State, county or municipal operation whose 
17purpose is to do all of the following:

1(1) Receive emergency calls.

2(2) Determine the appropriate agency, equipment and
3vehicles required to respond to emergency calls.

4(3) Dispatch the appropriate agency, equipment and
5emergency vehicle or vehicles to the location of the
6emergency situation, incident or event.

7"Emergency services provider." A municipal, public, private 
8or nonprofit service whose purpose is to respond to emergency 
9situations, incidents and events and provide emergency or 
10nonemergency assistance and service to the public. The term 
11includes all of the following:

12(1) A hazardous materials response unit, fire service,
13ambulance, heavy and light rescue squad unit, quick response
14unit and other related vehicle used in the normal operation
15of an emergency service.

16(2) A volunteer emergency service.

17"Emergency situation, incident or event." Any of the
18following:

19(1) A disaster.

20(2) A hazardous materials incident.

21(3) A fire.

22(4) Industrial or private security or fire alarm
23systems.

24(5) Industrial accidents.

25(6) Auto accidents.

26(7) Medical emergencies.

27(8) Nonemergency calls for medical assistance.

28(9) Any other situation, incident or event that does or
29may present a potential danger and threat to the health and
30safety of members of the public.

1"False alarm." A willfully fraudulent and intentional 
2transmission or request for a response by a volunteer emergency 
3services organization where the person making the transmission 
4or request knows there is no need for the transmission or 
5request. The term does not include a person transmitting or 
6requesting a response by a volunteer emergency services 
7organization who perceives or feels there could be or may be a 
8need for the transmission or request.

9"Municipal emergency services department." A fire 
10department, ambulance service or rescue squad established, 
11operated and funded by the municipality.

12"Officially recognized dispatch." Any of the following:

13(1) The dispatch of a volunteer emergency services
14organization by an officially recognized and approved
15emergency communication center.

16(2) A response to a special call or request from the
17Pennsylvania State Police or local police whether it comes
18through an emergency communication center or not.

19"Person." The term includes a corporation, partnership, 
20business trust, other association, governmental entity other 
21than the Commonwealth, estate, trust, foundation or natural 
22person.

23"State-owned land." Land that is owned or leased by or under 
24the control of the Department of Conservation and Natural 
25Resources.

26"Volunteer ambulance service." A nonprofit chartered 
27corporation, association or organization located in this 
28Commonwealth which is regularly engaged in the service of 
29providing emergency medical care and transportation of patients.

30"Volunteer emergency service organization." An organization
 

1which is a volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance service, 
2volunteer rescue squad or volunteer hazardous material response 
3team.

4"Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered 
5organization, association or organization located in this 
6Commonwealth which provides fire protection services, including 
7fire police services, and other volunteer emergency service 
8within this Commonwealth. Volunteer emergency service provided 
9by a volunteer fire company may include volunteer ambulance and 
10volunteer rescue service.

11"Volunteer hazardous material response team." A nonprofit 
12chartered corporation, association or organization located in 
13this Commonwealth whose members are specially trained to respond 
14to accidents or situations where hazardous or toxic materials 
15are released into the environment.

16"Volunteer rescue squad." A nonprofit chartered corporation, 
17association or organization located in this Commonwealth which 
18provides rescue service in this Commonwealth.

19Section 3. Reimbursement for emergency services responses.

20(a) General rule.--The department shall pay to an emergency
21services provider $225 for each time that the department
22requests emergency services on State-owned land from the
23emergency services provider and the emergency services provider
24responds to the request.

25(b) Procedures.--The department shall develop procedures by
26which the department requests emergency services on State-owned
27land from an emergency services provider and makes payment to
28the emergency services provider under subsection (a).

29(c) Payment.--The department shall reimburse an emergency
30services provider under this act by making payment as follows:

1(1) To the volunteer emergency service organization that
2responded.

3(2) If a municipal emergency services department that
4serves one municipality responded, to the municipality.

5(3) If a municipal emergency services department that
6serves more than one municipality responded, directly to the
7municipal emergency services department.

8Section 4. Certain municipalities exempt.

9This act shall not apply to an agreement for the provision of
10emergency services entered into between the department and an
11emergency services provider on or before the effective date of
12this section.

13Section 5. Approval of response.

14(a) Prerequisite.--A volunteer emergency services
15organization that responds to a special call or request from the
16Pennsylvania State Police or local police that has not come
17through an officially recognized and approved emergency
18communication center must be approved by an officially
19recognized emergency communication center prior to responding to
20the special call or request.

21(b) Duties of emergency communication center.--Upon
22notification by a volunteer emergency services organization of a
23request for dispatch, the emergency communication center shall:

24(1) Approve the response.

25(2) Assign a dispatch number to the volunteer emergency
26services organization.

27(3) Contact the municipal emergency services department,
28organization or person making the request to confirm the
29request.

30Section 6. Effective date.

1This act shall take effect in 60 days.