PRINTER'S NO. 2763
No. 1982 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY BOYD, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, EVERETT, FRANKEL,
GEIST, GINGRICH, HARPER, HENNESSEY, HORNAMAN, MACKERETH,
MOYER, PETRI, PETRONE, SAYLOR, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY AND
YOUNGBLOOD, OCTOBER 26, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, OCTOBER 26, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, in municipal authorities, further
3 providing for purposes and powers.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 5607 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
8 § 5607. Purposes and powers.
9 * * *
10 (h) Authorization to provide and support fire protection and
11 other emergency services.--
12 (1) An authority may be established to provide and
13 support fire protection and other emergency services in a
14 municipality or in municipalities acting jointly. The
15 authority shall prepare planning or feasibility studies to
16 determine service levels needed to provide fire protection
17 and other emergency services and the funding levels needed to
1 support fire companies and other emergency services
2 providers.
3 (2) The authority shall hold a public hearing on the
4 proposed plan to provide and support fire protection and
5 other emergency services, the estimated costs thereof and the
6 proposed method of assessment and charges. Notice of the
7 hearing shall be advertised at least ten days before it
8 occurs in a newspaper which has circulation within the
9 municipality or municipalities where the authority is
10 established. At the public hearing any interested party may
11 be heard.
12 (3) Written notice of the proposed plan to provide and
13 support fire protection and other emergency services, its
14 estimated cost, the proposed method of assessment and charges
15 and project cost to individual property owners shall be given
16 to each municipality, fire company and other emergency
17 service provider affected by the plan and, upon request, to
18 any property owner in the proposed service area at least 30
19 days prior to the public hearing.
20 (4) (i) The authority shall be empowered to assess
21 annual fees to provide and support fire protection and
22 other emergency services. The proceeds from any
23 assessments shall be used exclusively for the actual and
24 reasonable response costs incurred by a fire company or
25 other emergency services provider when responding to
26 emergency situations, incidents or events. These costs
27 may include capital and operating expenses.
28 (ii) As used in this paragraph, "emergency
29 situation, incident or event" shall mean a disaster,
30 hazardous materials incident, fire, industrial or private
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1 security or fire alarm systems incident, industrial
2 accident, auto accident, medical emergency, nonemergency
3 call for medical assistance or any other situation,
4 incident or event that does or may present a potential
5 danger or threat to the health and safety of members of
6 the public.
7 (5) The authority may require that all fire companies
8 and other emergency services providers seeking funding submit
9 a proposed budget no later than a specified date. As required
10 by the authority, this budget submission may include an
11 inventory of current capital facilities and equipment and
12 operating expenditures over a period of not to exceed five
13 years.
14 (6) No later than April 1 of each year, each fire
15 company and other emergency services provider receiving
16 funding shall submit a report to the authority detailing the
17 use of any money received by every fire company and other
18 emergency services provider.
19 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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