Mar. 19—SHAVERTOWN — Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook on Tuesday visited the Shavertown Fire Company to discuss how the 2024-25 budget proposal would increase the Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Grant Program to $60 million — doubling the current allocation.
Cook said the increased funding, which must be approved by the state legislature, would help communities' critical first responders recruit more people, update outdated safety equipment and provide additional training.
"To the Fire Services and EMS providers here today — you need this," Cook said. "To the legislators and community leaders here today or those listening elsewhere — the people who you depend on to keep our communities safe need this."
Cook said the Governor's proposal will double funding to $60 million from the $30 million the program currently receives.
He said the grant is open to fire, EMS and volunteer rescue squad organizations across the Commonwealth, covering a variety of eligible expenses including purchase or repair of ambulances and fire trucks, firefighting and medical gear and tools, training materials and certifications, recruitment and retention materials, construction and upgrades to buildings, and debt reduction.
"Our first responders take great risks every day to protect communities across the Commonwealth," Cook said. "These additional investments in the Office of the State Fire Commissioner's (OSFC) Fire and EMS Grant Program will support the good work they do by helping departments pay for the ever-rising costs of public safety."
Cook said he spent the last year traveling across the state, meeting with the men and women of the fire and EMS communities.
"The most common themes I hear relate back to lack of resources," Cook said. "Fire and EMS companies can't afford to replace outdated trucks or buy the equipment they need to do their jobs. They have been asked to do more with less. They are hurting for volunteers and career personnel alike and don't have the resources to fund their recruitment and retention efforts. All while responding more calls than ever before.
Cook and other fire chiefs from Luzerne County communities agreed that less and less volunteers are joining fire companies, but fire and emergency calls are increasing.
Cook said he has been told that volunteer fire and EMS personnel in Pennsylvania save the state more than $88 billion every year.
"And costs are not going down," Cook said, standing in front of a ladder truck in the future new home of the Shavertown Fire Company, 149 N. Main St., Shavertown. "A new ladder truck can cost upwards of $2 million dollars. And that's just for one truck. Fire Departments like Shavertown and others throughout Luzerne County rely on OSFC grant funding to pay for equipment, renovations, necessary protective gear and more. The current grant program limits the amount a single fire company can receive to just $20,000."
Cook said it's not just the fire services that are experiencing the pain of recent cost increases. He said just one ambulance stretcher system for an EMS provider can cost upwards of $40,000 — a cost that has risen sharply in recent years. Cook said that under the current grant program, the maximum amount that a single EMS company can receive is $15,000.
" Gov. Shapiro's budget proposal to double the fire and EMS grant funding from $30 million to $60 million is a significant step forward in supporting our state's first responders," Cook said. "This increased funding will directly benefit our fire and EMS organizations, allowing them to better serve their communities."
Shavertown Fire Company President and Deputy Chief Ryan Moss discussed how money from the grant program has been critical in paying off debt on the purchase of the former automotive repair shop building, which they are currently transforming into their new fire station.
Moss said the all-volunteer fire company currently operates out of a 60-year-old building that is too small to house modern fire trucks. He said it will take about $2 million to renovate the building and the fire company hopes to raise much of the money through fundraising events. He said the project could take two more years to complete.
"The proposed increase in grant funding will help speed up the conversion of the repair shop into a fire station which will serve the community for many years to come," Moss said.
Dr. Wendy Braund, Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) Deputy Secretary for Health Preparedness and Community Protection, accompanied Cook to the news conference in Shavertown.
"The increase in grant funding, along with the Shapiro Administration's investment of $1 million for EMS tuition reimbursement is important in providing that much-needed support for fire and EMS professionals who put their lives on the line every time they are called to duty," Braund said. "They deserve to be supported in their careers and provided the educational opportunities to advance their knowledge and experience."
Cook and Braund said the Shapiro Administration has been focused on creating safer communities through investments in first responders.
" Gov. Shapiro knows first-hand that first responders are on the front lines keeping their communities safe — and his 2024-25 budget proposal shows a continued investment in equipment, training and staffing needs so fire and EMS organizations can do just that," Braund said.
___
(c)2024 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
Visit The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at www.timesleader.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
