Oct 28, 2002 3 min read

Should the commonwealth of Pennsylvania borrow up to $100 million to create a program to improve volunteer fire and emergency services? —

That question will be posed to voters on Nov. 5. We strongly suggest answering “yes.”

There are about 2,400 volunteer fire companies in Pennsylvania; 52 of them here in Fayette County. Without these fire companies many smaller boroughs and townships would lack fire protection.

There was a time when volunteers were plentiful. That has changed as fewer men and women are willing or able to dedicate countless hours to the service.

If most of that time were spent training or responding to fire and emergency calls, more might be motivated to join. But that isn’t the case. Volunteer firefighters must devote hundreds of hours to raising funds, through bingos, spaghetti dinners, raffles, carnivals, whatever it takes to keep the trucks and equipment in usable condition. Some estimate as much as 80 percent of the hours volunteered go toward raising funds rather than training to be better prepared for emergencies.

While some townships and boroughs dedicate small portions of local taxes in support of the fire departments, not all do and not all can afford to do so. Other communities at times agree to spend part of their community block grants to offset some of the costs for new trucks, refurbishing old trucks or buying other life-saving equipment, such as cameras that allow rescuers to see through dense smoke to find people trapped in fires. But fire departments must compete with other equally worthy community projects for this funding.

Currently, Pennsylvania lacks a statewide program that provides aid to the fire departments. Two years ago when Pennsylvania experienced a budget surplus, the governor and legislature targeted $25 million toward volunteer emergency departments. The need was so great, that the initial plan to grant a maximum of $15,000 to fire departments and $10,000 to ambulance services requesting the funds had to be reduced to $9,900 and $6,500 respectively.

Our local fire departments were encouraged by this sorely needed shot in the arm and used the money to replace worn out equipment. But it was a one-time grant, and Pennsylvania now grapples with budget deficits at the same time charitable donations, including those to fire departments, have fallen.

The $100 million bond issue can go a long way to keeping the departments in business. We are disappointed that details of how the money will be repaid and how it will be used are still sketchy. But we have faith that the intent is similar to the grant program two years ago.

The referendum is not binding. Lawmakers could still balk at aiding the fire departments. That is why it is important for voters to send an overwhelming message that fire protection services are important.

Vote “yes.”