May. 02, 2022
HARRISBURG- Rep. Gary Day (R-Lehigh/Berks) today announced he will be introducing legislation to allow volunteer firefighters access to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Cooperative Purchasing Program (COSTARS).
COSTARS serves as a conduit through which registered and eligible local public procurement units and state-affiliated entities are able to leverage contracts established by the Department of General Services (DGS) to identify suppliers efficiently and at low- cost. As of now, current members may include any nonprofit fire company, rescue company, or ambulance company.
Excluded from this program are individual volunteer firefighters from these departments, who may want or need to purchase vehicles, equipment, or other related items for their own uses.
“Our firefighters do so much for our communities, often putting their own lives on the line to keep us safe,” said Day.
“This legislation would be a great step forward for these dedicated men and women to be afforded access to suppliers at a lower cost. It’s another important thing we can do for our volunteer firefighters who save taxpayers money by volunteering their time and talents for our communities.”