HARRISBURG – This past week, two bills sponsored by Sen. Pat Stefano (R-32) supporting firefighters advanced in the Senate.
The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee passed Senate Bill 1265. This measure would task the State Fire Commissioner with establishing a registry of courses for firefighters, similar to what is done for emergency medical service providers.
“This legislation would provide a central location for a firefighter’s training credentials so a firefighter and his or her fire chief can easily access them, rather than having to retain hard copies,” said Stefano. “All too often, firefighters have to dig up their credentials. With this legislation, it will be conveniently at their fingertips.”
Meanwhile, the full Senate passed Senate Bill 1027, which would permit junior firefighters, aged 17, to train on the interior firefighter module with live burns – with their parent or guardian’s permission, local fire chief’s permission and under the instruction of a credentialed Pennsylvania State Fire Academy instructor.
“A result of discussions with my local fire companies, this bill is important for recruitment and retention purposes. It will help our junior firefighters complete their training prior to turning 18, which is critical at a time when the number of firefighters in Pennsylvania is so low,” said Sen. Stefano.
Senate Bill 1027 now moves to the House of Representatives for its consideration. Senate Bill 1265 is now before the full Senate.
“These two measures, while not a silver bullet to fix all the issues facing Pennsylvania’s volunteer firefighters, will provide some needed assistance for two important issues,” said Stefano.
CONTACT: Jake Gery, jgery@pasen.gov