Pa. House passes bills to address firefighter shortage by offering property tax credits, college loan forgiveness and more

State aid to buy gear for volunteer firefighters

The state House of Representatives passed a package of bills aimed at addressing the growing shortage of volunteer firefighter and EMS personnel in Pennsylvania.

Length of service awards, college loan forgiveness, tuition assistance, and local property tax credits may soon be among the incentives available to individuals who choose to serve as a volunteer firefighter in Pennsylvania.

The state House of Representatives passed a package of bills on Wednesday aimed at addressing a growing shortage of volunteer firefighter and EMS personnel that is nearing or at crisis levels in some communities around the state. Those measures, along with ones passed earlier in the week, now will go to the Senate for consideration.

The incentives to entice individuals to become a volunteer first responder are rooted in the recommendations that came from a two-year study examining the decline in volunteer firefighters and other issues facing emergency service providers.

Several of those issues were addressed at a news conference held on Monday outside the state Capitol that drew apparatus and emergency responders from around the state to highlight problems their fire companies and ambulance squads are encountering in finding people and money to keep their doors open.

Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline called it “an absolute crisis in Pennsylvania. It has been a festering issue for decades that has gotten very little support.” But he added the legislative interest in passing this package of bills is a step in the right direction.

Among the bills that passed the House is one that would establish the First Responder Loan Forgiveness Program. It would grant up to $16,000 in college loan forgiveness to students or graduates of Pennsylvania higher education institutions who meet certain eligibility requirements. Awards from this program to be administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency would only be made to the extent that state funds are appropriated.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Chris Sainato, D-Lawrence County, said he sees this proposed loan forgiveness program becoming a model that other states will follow “as they suffer the same problems we are here in Pennsylvania.”

The way he described it, it is a reward to be earned by people who do community service.

“It is not free,” Sainato said.

Other bills that are heading to the Senate to increase volunteerism in the first responder community and alleviate some burdens on it would:

  • Authorize school districts to offer a property tax credit for volunteer first responders.
  • Give counties the authority to offer a property tax credit for volunteer first responders.
  • Provide tuition assistance to active volunteers.
  • Establish online training programs for firefighters.
  • Expand the permitted uses of volunteer firefighters’ relief association grants to allow retention and recruitment incentives to volunteer firefighters such as tax-deferred income benefits.
  • Exempt the transfer of real estate from the realty transfer tax for a first responder’s surviving spouse or minor child within five years of the first responder’s death.
  • Exempt fire, rescue or EMS companies from the realty transfer tax for the transfer of property, which could encourage companies to merge.
  • Increase loan amounts available to volunteer fire and EMS companies from the Volunteer Loan Assistance Program that is used to buy or repair apparatus and establish or modernize facilities.
  • Would exempt volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance companies from portions of the Right-to-Know Law. This was the most controversial measure in the package, passing by a 166-34 vote. Supporters said it would alleviate the burden of responding to Right to Know requests on already short-staffed fire and ambulance companies.Opponents argued that with all the taxpayer-funded incentives being offered to retain and recruit volunteers, it makes it imperative to maintain transparency requirements so these companies can be held accountable.

Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy.

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