Sep. 16, 2022
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Lynda Culver (R-Northumberland/Snyder) is continuing the push to find additional financial support for Pennsylvania’s more than 2,400 fire companies, 90% of which operate strictly with volunteers.
“The dwindling number of emergency responders poses a real threat to public safety and cannot be ignored,” Culver said. “We continue to ask more of these talented volunteers while providing them with less and that needs to change.”
Culver, a member of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, on Tuesday successfully amended a piece of legislation to include language that would earmark portions of Pennsylvania’s fireworks tax for financial and educational assistance for first responders. The amendment passed unanimously as part of
House Bill 1178, which now goes before the full House.
“Thanks to
Act 74 of 2022, all of the revenue derived from the 12% tax on the sale of fireworks now funds EMS grants and online volunteer firefighter training programs,” added Culver. “My amendment is essentially a package of four separate bills that will designate specifically what the revenue will be used for.”
The four areas it would address are scholarship grants for reimbursement of EMS training, municipal fire department capital grants for facilities maintenance, capital grants to be administered to emergency service training centers, and online training educator and training reimbursement for firefighters.
For more information about this legislation, or any other state-related issue, contact Culver’s district office in Sunbury located at 106 Arch St., by calling 570-286-5885, or toll-free at 1-800-924-9060.