PRINTER'S NO. 1003
No. 8 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY SATHER, SEMMEL, STERN, SAYLOR, BOYES, BAKER,
BARRAR, BASTIAN, BUXTON, CAPPELLI, CIVERA, COY, CREIGHTON,
FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER, FLEAGLE, FLICK, GEORGE, GORDNER,
GRUCELA, HARRIS, HERMAN, HESS, LAUGHLIN, LEVDANSKY, LEWIS,
MARKOSEK, McILHATTAN, R. MILLER, MUNDY, O'NEILL, PHILLIPS,
B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, T. STEVENSON, TRAVAGLIO, WALKO, WATSON,
WILT, YOUNGBLOOD, ZUG, MAJOR, THOMAS, GODSHALL, MARSICO,
PAYNE AND ROSS, MARCH 12, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 12, 2003
AN ACT
1 Establishing a grant program for volunteer fire companies and
2 volunteer ambulance services; and making appropriations.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 CHAPTER 1
6 PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
7 Section 101. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Volunteer
9 Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Act.
10 Section 102. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Advanced life support services." The term shall have the
1 meaning given to it in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45),
2 known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
3 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
4 "Basic life support services." The term shall have the
5 meaning given to it in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45),
6 known as the Emergency Medical Services Act.
7 "Commissioner." The State Fire Commissioner.
8 "Facility." A structure or portion thereof intended for the
9 purpose of storage or protection of firefighting apparatus,
10 ambulances and rescue vehicles and related equipment and gear.
11 The term does not include meeting halls, social halls, social
12 rooms, lounges or any other facility not directly related to
13 firefighting or the furnishing of ambulance or rescue services.
14 "Grant program." The Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program
15 established in Chapter 3 or the Volunteer Ambulance Service
16 Grant Program established in Chapter 5.
17 "Invalid coach." The term shall have the meaning given to it
18 in the act of July 3, 1985 (P.L.164, No.45), known as the
19 Emergency Medical Services Act.
20 "Volunteer ambulance service." Any nonprofit chartered
21 corporation, association or organization located in this
22 Commonwealth, which is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department
23 of Health and is not associated or affiliated with any hospital
24 and which is regularly engaged in the provision of emergency
25 medical services, including basic life support or advanced life
26 support services and the transportation of patients. The term
27 shall not include any corporation, association or organization
28 that is primarily engaged in the operation of invalid coaches
29 which are intended for the routine transport of persons who are
30 convalescent or otherwise nonambulatory and do not ordinarily
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1 require emergency medical treatment while in transit.
2 "Volunteer fire company." A nonprofit chartered corporation,
3 association or organization located in this Commonwealth which
4 provides fire protection or rescue services and which may offer
5 other voluntary emergency services within this Commonwealth.
6 Voluntary emergency services provided by a volunteer fire
7 company may include voluntary ambulance and voluntary rescue
8 services.
9 "Volunteer rescue company." A nonprofit chartered
10 corporation, association or organization that provides rescue
11 services as part of the response to fires and/or vehicle
12 accidents.
13 CHAPTER 3
14 VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY GRANT PROGRAM
15 Section 301. Establishment.
16 The Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program is hereby
17 established and shall be administered by the agency in
18 consultation with the commissioner. Grants provided under this
19 program shall be used to improve and enhance the capabilities of
20 the volunteer fire company to provide firefighting, ambulance
21 and rescue services.
22 Section 302. Guidelines and procedures.
23 The agency shall develop guidelines, procedures and all
24 applications necessary to implement the grant program. The
25 agency shall submit the guidelines, procedures and applications
26 to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
27 Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin within 30 days of the effective
28 date of this act.
29 Section 303. Award of grants.
30 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
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1 a one-time grant award to each eligible volunteer fire company
2 for the following:
3 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the fire company's
4 facility and purchase or repair of fixtures and furnishings
5 necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the
6 company to provide fire, ambulance and rescue services.
7 (2) Repair of firefighting, ambulance or rescue
8 equipment or purchase thereof.
9 (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
10 (4) Training and certification of members.
11 (b) Limits.--
12 (1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), grants shall be
13 not less than $2,500 and not more than $15,000 per volunteer
14 fire company.
15 (2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
16 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
17 amount of funds allocated in section 701.
18 (3) In a municipality where there are two or more
19 volunteer fire companies and if two or more fire companies
20 consolidated their use of equipment, firefighters and
21 services between July 1, 1998, and the date of enactment of
22 this act, each entity from which the consolidated entity was
23 created will be eligible for a grant as though it had not
24 consolidated.
25 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
26 (1) The agency shall provide applications for grants
27 under this act to the fire chief and president of every
28 volunteer fire company in this Commonwealth on or before July
29 31, 2003.
30 (2) Volunteer fire companies seeking grants under this
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1 act shall submit completed applications to the agency on or
2 before December 31, 2003. The agency shall act to approve or
3 disapprove the application by May 1, 2004. Applications which
4 have not been approved or disapproved by the agency by May 1,
5 2004, shall be deemed approved.
6 (d) Eligibility.--To receive grant funds under this act, a
7 volunteer fire company shall have actively responded to one or
8 more fire or rescue emergencies since July 1, 2003, and must
9 sign an agreement to actively participate in the Pennsylvania
10 Fire Information Reporting System which is administered by the
11 agency.
12 Section 304. Consolidation incentive.
13 If, after the effective date of this act, two or more
14 volunteer fire companies consolidate their use of facilities,
15 equipment, firefighters and services, the consolidated entity
16 may, upon notification of the agency, be eligible for a
17 reduction of the interest rate payable on any outstanding
18 principal balance owed, as of the date of consolidation, by any
19 or all of the consolidating companies to the Volunteer Companies
20 Loan Fund for loans made under the act of July 15, 1976
21 (P.L.1036, No.208), known as the Volunteer Fire Company,
22 Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act. The reduction
23 in the interest rate payable shall be from 2% to 1%. Upon
24 receipt of such notification, the agency, in conjunction with
25 the State Fire Commissioner, shall determine and verify that the
26 consolidated entity is in fact a bona fide consolidated
27 volunteer fire company. If the agency determines that the
28 consolidated entity is a bona fide consolidated volunteer fire
29 company, it shall reduce the interest rate payable on any
30 outstanding principal balance owed to the Volunteer Companies
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1 Loan Fund for loans made under the Volunteer Fire Company,
2 Ambulance Service and Rescue Squad Assistance Act, for which the
3 consolidating companies or the consolidated entity may be
4 individually or jointly responsible. The agency may promulgate
5 such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the
6 provisions of this section.
7 CHAPTER 5
8 VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE GRANT PROGRAM
9 Section 501. Establishment.
10 The Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program is hereby
11 established and shall be administered by the agency. Grants
12 provided under this program shall be used to improve and enhance
13 the capabilities of the volunteer ambulance services to provide
14 ambulance, emergency medical, basic life support and advanced
15 life support services.
16 Section 502. Guidelines and procedures.
17 The agency shall develop guidelines, procedures and all
18 applications necessary to implement the grant program. The
19 agency shall submit the guidelines, procedures and applications
20 to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the
21 Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin within 30 days of the effective
22 date of this act.
23 Section 503. Award of grants.
24 (a) Authorization.--The agency is hereby authorized to make
25 a one-time grant award to each eligible volunteer ambulance
26 service for the following:
27 (1) Construction and/or renovation of the volunteer
28 ambulance service's facility and purchase or repair of
29 fixtures, furnishings, office equipment and support services
30 necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the
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1 ambulance service to provide ambulance, emergency medical,
2 basic life support and advanced life support services.
3 (2) Repair of ambulance equipment or purchase thereof.
4 (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).
5 (4) Training and certification of members.
6 (b) Limits.--
7 (1) Grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more
8 than $10,000 per volunteer ambulance service.
9 (2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the
10 total dollar amount of approved applications exceeds the
11 amount of funds allocated in section 702.
12 (c) Time for filing application and department action.--
13 (1) The agency shall provide applications for grants
14 under this act to the president of every volunteer ambulance
15 service in this Commonwealth on or before July 31, 2003.
16 (2) Volunteer ambulance services seeking grants under
17 this chapter shall submit completed applications to the
18 agency on or before December 31, 2003. The agency shall act
19 to approve or disapprove the application by May 1, 2004.
20 Applications which have not been approved or disapproved by
21 the agency by May 1, 2004, shall be deemed approved.
22 CHAPTER 7
23 GRANT FUNDING PROVISIONS
24 Section 701. Volunteer Fire Company Grant Program.
25 The sum of $22,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
26 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency
27 Management Agency for the purpose of making grants to eligible
28 volunteer fire companies pursuant to Chapter 3.
29 Section 702. Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program.
30 The sum of $3,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
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1 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency
2 Management Agency for the purpose of making grants to eligible
3 volunteer ambulance services pursuant to Chapter 5.
4 Section 703. Agency funding.
5 The sum of $100,000, or as much thereof as may be necessary,
6 is hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management
7 Agency for expenses or costs incurred by the agency for the
8 administration of the grant programs authorized under Chapters 3
9 and 5.
10 CHAPTER 9
11 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
12 Section 901. Expiration of authority.
13 The authority of the agency to award grants under Chapters 3
14 and 5 shall expire June 30, 2004.
15 Section 902. Effective date.
16 This act shall take effect July 1, 2003, or immediately,
17 whichever is later.
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