Wildfire Danger is MODERATE

GOVERNOR RENDELL ANNOUNCES
FUNDING FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS
Grants Help Rural Communities Battle Forest Fires

HARRISBURG -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced almost $560,000 in grant funding again is available to help Pennsylvania’s rural communities better guard against the threat of fires in forested, undeveloped and unprotected areas.

“One only has to look back a few weeks to the deadly brush fires in Australia to know and appreciate the value of well-trained, well-equipped local firefighting forces in rural areas,” said Governor Rendell. “Here at home, we have brave volunteers faithfully answering the call to battle brush and forest fires across Pennsylvania. These men and women deserve nothing but the very best training and equipment these grants help provide.”

A total of $559,200 is being made available to Pennsylvania volunteers this year. In 2008, almost 200 fire companies across the state were helped with grants that total more than $7.5 million since they were first awarded in 1982.

Grants and other assistance are offered annually through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, with funding supplied by the USDA Forest Service through the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (Volunteer Fire Assistance).

“Spring of 2008 was a very busy season for the Bureau of Forestry, which is the state agency responsible for protecting our state woodlands from fire,” said DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis. “We see these grants as a boon to helping better organize, train and equip local firefighting forces in rural areas.

“As development continues to encroach upon large, forested tracts, the number of homes and communities in Pennsylvania’s wooded and rural areas continues to grow each year, and so, too, does the threat of wildfires,”
The Bureau of Forestry begins accepting grant applications Monday, Feb. 23. Grant applications must be received at the Harrisburg headquarters of DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry by 4 p.m. Friday, May 1.

To expedite the application and decision-making processes, the bureau is urging applicants to take advantage of its new online service. Applicants should visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us; click on “Grants,” then “Volunteer Fire Assistance.”

In reviewing applications, the bureau will place priority on those requests seeking funds for projects that include the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing.

Grants also may be used for mobile or portable radios, installation of dry hydrants, wildfire prevention and mitigation, wildfire fighter training, or conversion and maintenance of federal excess vehicles received from the bureau to be used for fire suppression

Overseen by DCNR's Bureau of Forestry, aid is granted on a cost-share basis. Grants for any project during a fiscal year cannot exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures of local, public and private nonprofit organizations in the agreement.

The maximum grant that will be considered from any fire company in 2009 is $7,500. All items approved for purchase under the 2008 fiscal year program must be purchased between Oct. 1, 2008, and Nov. 30, 2009.

Grant applications and more information also may be obtained from the Bureau of Forestry’s Division of Forest Fire Protection. Contact Forest Program Specialist Charles C. Choplick at (717) 787-2925, or cchoplick@state.pa.us; or visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/ffp/index.aspx.

###

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: www.governor.state.pa.us.

March 18, 2008

HARRISBURG -- Stressing that Pennsylvania needs to do more to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters and emergency responders, Senators Mike Waugh (R-York) and Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) have introduced a three-bill package to provide tax
credits to fire and emergency service volunteers and their employers.

The bills would provide the following tax credits for volunteer fire and emergency workers.

A $500 tax credit for active members of volunteer firefighting and emergency medical services organizations, as certified by the State Fire Commissioner or the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Office in the Department of Health.

A post-secondary education tuition reimbursement credit of 50 percent of a qualified student's share of tuition for each course credit. The credit would be paid directly to the community college, state-owned university or state-related university.

A $1,000 tax credit against an employer's personal income tax for each volunteer fire and emergency services member who is employed. The credit could not exceed $5,000 per employer during a specific tax year.

Continued...

PFESI and the local government organizations have come to agreement on wording for an amendment to the orginal HB's 1131, 133 1134 and SB987.

PFESI has communicated our support for this amendment to all Senators and the House Staff persons we worked with on the wording. The amendments were accepted yesterday and hopefully we will see the bills pass in the Senate today and go back over to the House for concurrence.

Each of you who contacted your Senator as we requested and notified us of your action were extremely instrumental in making this legislation to support SR60 recommendation number one a reality. IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR EFFORTS. A real example of what can happend when we are all on the same page and communicate with our legislators. Keep up the great work!

We also want you to know that we are working closely with Senator Matt Baker's staff (majority chair of the committee) and they have been very helpful and receptive to hearing our opinions and suggestions on the legislation.

The following letter is from PFESI Director Tom Savage:

NOTE: Copies of these bills can be found in the downloads area

Four individual bills that address recommendation number 1 in the SR60 Commission Report have worked their way through the legislative process. These bills will now go to the full Senate for final passage. PLEASE IMMEDIATELY CONTACT YOUR SENATOR AND TELL HIM/HER TO VOTE YES FOR HOUSE BILLS 1131(2nd class Twp), 1133(Boroughs), 1134(1st class Twp) AND SENATE BILL 987(3rd class cities)! The full Senate will take up discussion of the bills when they return on January 28, 2008.

It is imperative that you inform your Senator of your strong support for these bills that are vital to the continued delivery of emergency services across Pennsylvania and that you expect him/her to honor the Senate’s pledge to act on the SR60 Recommendations. We need you to act now because at the 11th hour (see detail below) the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs and the PA State Association of Townships Supervisors, after supporting the recommendations and the legislation since November 2004, after we accepted their wording changes, are at the 11th hour raising issues/concerns to derail passage of the bills. (At no time did either group surface to PFESI or the legislators any issues/concerns/objections to any of the four bills)

These bills are necessary because there is no consistent municipal statutory statement of authority, responsibility and accountability for fire and EMS within the forms of municipality in the Commonwealth. The Recommendation was approved unanimously by the entire membership of the SR60 Commission and was considered the number one recommendation by several on the Commission.