Safe2Say Something is worthwhile program

Pennsylvania’s Safe2Say Something program is aimed at preventing violence in schools.

Pennsylvania’s Safe2Say Something program, aimed at preventing violence in schools by inviting anonymous reporting of threats, appears to be highlighting mental health needs among students.

The initiative, started in the 2018-19 school year, gives students, teachers and school administrators a chance to report potential unsafe activities in schools.

Of about 23,500 tips received from January through June, more than 90% concerned mental health, particularly suicide. That is obviously worth knowing and addressing.

This is Safe2Say Something Week, a time to recognize the value of a program that encourages those in our schools to be vigilant for signs of trouble among their peers.

Helping students embrace their ability to take an active role in protecting the safety of their schools and classmates is important.

And officials should make these efforts worthwhile by seeking answers to the questions raised by the reports — chief among them why so many students are thinking about suicide.

As Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office oversees the tipline, said: “Students are struggling with stress, they are struggling with mental health issues and they need more resources of people to be able to talk to. The tips demonstrate that need that exist in our schools today.”

Let’s encourage our students to keep alerting us to their problems and make it worthwhile by addressing the needs demonstrated by the tips they share.

Recruiting volunteer firefighters

Pennsylvania lawmakers are busy working on solutions aimed at preserving something that might be on an inevitable path to extinction.

In the 1970s, Pennsylvania had more than 300,000 active volunteer firefighters. That group, an estimated 90% or more of the state’s 2,400-plus fire companies, has fallen to about 38,000 today, according to a commission report late last year.

The commission — made up of lawmakers, local officials and leaders of fire and emergency medical services organizations — found that the volunteers providing fire and EMS services in many parts of Pennsylvania are struggling. They lack both funding and volunteers.

After the report’s release, even some fire company leaders suggested that the current system might not be built to last.

Pennsylvania’s population is aging, leaving a smaller pool of young people from which to attract volunteers. People seem to have less time for volunteer efforts.

Some municipalities are working with fire companies to offer tax breaks or stipends to attract volunteers.

The Fairmount Fire Company of Lansdale recently reported an increase in volunteers due to recruitment efforts and a stipend program supported by the borugh.

Efforts to support volunteer firefighters are also underway in the state House.

The chamber’s Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, recently passed a number of measures, aimed at supporting Pennsylvania’s volunteer and/or paid first responders. They would: — Forgive college debt up to $16,000 for volunteer first responders after four years of service.

— Reauthorize the $30 million annual fire and emergency medical services grant program and expand its use for recruitment and retention efforts.

— Add post-traumatic stress injuries to the class of illnesses and injuries covered by worker’s compensation.

— Establish a mental wellness and stress management program for Pennsylvania first responders.

These are all good ideas with good intent. Helping those who keep us safe is a sensible policy.

But if the trends of recent decades continue, our lawmakers might need to rethink the model — one that finds today’s fire companies struggling to raise money and recruit volunteers — and encourage one that better accommodates the realities of modern life.