Fire company referendum deserves a yes vote in primary

All fire services in Pennsylvania should be entitled to use the funds that are available to their departments. That’s the goal for one of the four referendum questions on the state ballot in the May 18 primary.

The premise sounds simple, but according to local fire officials, there is a misconception that approving the referendum could take funds away from volunteer fire companies.

The question originates from the Senate Resolution 6 Commission’s (SR6) unanimous recommendation to change the Volunteer Loan Assistance Program and add career/combination fire departments.

“We’re trying to get Harrisburg to change some archaic laws that exist and open up the program where there’s a windfall of money that municipal fire departments like the Norristown Fire Department and other departments in Montgomery County can take the opportunity to purchase fire apparatus. This is an important topic locally but also across the Commonwealth,” Norristown Fire Chief Tom O’Donnell told MediaNews Group reporter Gary Puleo for a recent news article.

“There is an existing law in the books that needs to be amended to make it something that the entire fire service in Pennsylvania can benefit from. When the entire fire service in Pennsylvania benefits, the citizens we serve to protect are the real winners,” O’Donnell added.

Organizations that support the amendment include the Pennsylvania Fire Emergency Services Institute, Pennsylvania Career Fire Chiefs Association, Firemen’s Association of the state of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters Association.

O’Donnell said in an interview that the state has $47 million sitting in a fund that could be better utilized to benefit all fire departments in Pennsylvania. Currently, the law only allows the set aside money to be used by volunteer departments.

The ballot question asks, “Do you favor expanding the use of the indebtedness authorized under the referendum for loans to volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance services and volunteer rescue squads under 35 PA.C.S. §7378.1 … to include loans to municipal fire departments or companies that provide services through paid personnel and emergency medical services companies for the purpose of establishing and modernizing facilities to house apparatus equipment, ambulances and rescue vehicles, and for purchasing apparatus equipment, ambulances and rescue vehicles, protective and communications equipment and any other accessory equipment necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the fire companies and emergency medical services companies?”

A “yes” vote supports expanding the state’s loan program to include municipal fire companies and EMS services.

Charles McGarvey, chief of Lower Merion Fire Department, served on the commission which came up with the recommendations and said that there has been some misinformation about the proposal. “There’s something going around to some volunteer fire companies that they’re going to take away their money, and it’s not true. There’s $47 million, so there’s plenty of money for the entire fire service. It’s important that the public is fully aware of what the truth is, that there’s plenty of money to go around for everyone.”

The Office of the State Fire Commissioner administers the program, which loans money to departments for establishing or modernizing facilities to house firefighting apparatus equipment, ambulances and rescue vehicles, purchase new firefighting apparatus and communications equipment and any other accessory equipment necessary for the proper performance of these organizations’ duties.

The challenges faced by local fire departments whether staffed entirely by volunteers, paid personnel or a combination have been well documented in recent years. A lack of volunteers has led to crisis situations in many small towns, and in some cases, municipalities have had to resort to paying personnel to keep firehouses open.

Those paid or blended departments have a need for help with equipment purchases, just as the all-volunteer companies do. Passage of this referendum is necessary to ensure that assistance and protect local communities.

Although voting in local elections is not available to Independent voters, this year’s primary in Pennsylvania is the first in which all voters, including those not registered as Democrats or Republicans, can vote on statewide ballot questions.

This referendum has a clear nonpartisan motivation to get rid of a barrier to fire protection in our towns. It warrants participating in this primary and voting yes.