In Harrisburg yesterday, the Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee approved legislation introduced by Senators Joe Pittman Camera Bartolotta that would establish a special one-time grant program for volunteer fire companies and EMS squads, which have lost their ability to fund raise.
The approval was along party lines, with seven Republicans voting for it and four Democrats against, which was a surprise to Pittman, who said he “never imagined partisanship would ever transcend into providing essential funding to…local fire departments and EMS programs.
The grants match the ones previously approved by PEMA and the Office of the State Fire Commissioner for the current fiscal year. Fire companies have lost the ability to hold bingo nights and other events that help them raise the funds they need in order to survive.
The Pittman/Bartolotta bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
The committee is also considering Representative Jim Struzzi’s bill providing for tuition assistance for active emergency services volunteers.
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