South Central PA News

The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, led by Senator Doug Mastriano, has moved forward with three legislative bills aimed at bolstering support for emergency responders in Pennsylvania. These measures have been under development throughout the 2023-24 legislative session.

Senator Mastriano stated, "Each of these measures is important to our emergency responder community and has been worked on extensively over the course of the 2023-24 legislative session."

House Bill 843 proposes the creation of a second urban search and rescue team in western Pennsylvania. This initiative has already secured funding within this year's state budget. Mastriano highlighted the necessity for such a team: “In August of 2023, our committee heard first-hand the need for a second urban search and rescue team," he said. He noted that while Task Force 1 operates out of Philadelphia, recent incidents in western Pennsylvania underscore the demand for rapid response capabilities.

House Bill 1304 aims to modernize language within the existing 911 Law to align with evolving technologies. According to Mastriano, “Last year, we re-authorized the 911 Law and commissioned a study to look at possible savings.” The bill seeks to update terminology, enhance penalties for misuse of the system, and enforce service outage reporting by communications providers.

House Bill 2407 introduces reforms for fire companies and EMS organizations across Pennsylvania. It updates the Fire and EMS Grant Program to allow funds for preventative health measures and mental health initiatives. Additionally, it offers flexibility in testing procedures for firefighter certification—a concept derived from Mastriano’s Senate Bill 1101—and raises borrowing limits under the Fire and EMS Loan Program.

Mastriano commented on this bill's significance: “House Bill 2407 will provide needed flexibility to firefighters as they go through the Firefighter I certification.”

These bills are now set to be reviewed by the full Senate.

Further information about Senator Mastriano can be accessed via his website or Facebook page.

For media inquiries, contact Nate Silcox at 717-787-8930.