One of last night’s council meeting agenda topics was the item to “Consider approval to enter into a contract with VFIS (VFIS is a division of the Glatfelter Insurance Group, of York County) to perform all activities outlined in the scope of work as it relates to the fire service consolidation process at a cost not to exceed $8,500.00.” VHIS enjoys an excellent reputation for quality and performance nationwide. This is an on-going project investigating the consolidation of multiple emergency response resources into a single, streamlined agency. Emergency services nationally are faced with increasing challenges; increasingly, funds are drying up.

We just received this in an email from Don Konkle, Pennsylvanie Fire and Emergency Services Institute (PFESI),  Executive Director. 

Funds for firefighters slashed
By Amanda Leigh Brozana (Staff Writer abrozana@republicanherald.com) – published: March 14, 2001 in the Pottsville (PA) Republican.

Firefighters across the commonwealth are sounding the alarm after training funds have changed in recent years, something they argue may lead departments to choose not to send volunteers for essential firefighting education.

For decades, fire companies that sought training courses for their volunteer or paid firefighters requested courses through the community college system. Courses were offered at their company or in close proximity and instructors were paid through state funding.

About five years ago, that changed when colleges accepted a move from the system that reimbursed institutions for noncredit public safety training courses through the state Department of Education to a system in which all community colleges pull from a pool of money, eliminating reimbursements for “full-time equivalencies” related to public safety training.

That move, state Fire Commissioner Ed Mann said, has moved college administrators to place value on programs that make money, and have them putting a burden on fire training to raise funds through course fees that were not charged in the past.

At the time of the change, fire officials throughout the state warned that fire companies may soon have to cover the cost of training – something that could be extremely costly, given the current 166 hours of basic “firefighter 1” education and dozens of specialized courses offered under the State Fire Academy’s curriculum.

“See, colleges weren’t making money on these courses, but it was OK because they were still paid to offer the training,” Mann said in a phone interview March 7. “Now, community college enrollments are up substantially and spending dollars go toward credit programs, so there is less money for public safety programs.”

Mann said from college to college, the fees institutions will charge for courses will vary, and no one knows “what the final costs may be for these programs” to the departments.

Many concerns about affordability

For Mann and others, the shift brings about many concerns.

“Depending on how high the prices for the training goes, a fire department might not be able to afford to train and that puts the safety of the firefighter and the people and property he or she is protecting in greater danger,” Mann said. “Chiefs may have to make the decision between equipment or training.”

Or, Don Konkle, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute, said the cost for education might be passed on to the individuals seeking training.

In Schuylkill County there are more than 120 fire companies, or about 2,500 active firefighters – all of whom are volunteers – according to county Emergency Management Coordinator John Matz.

“Those volunteers are essential to public safety, but they probably don’t have thousands of dollars laying around to invest in training,” Matz said.

Recruitment would dramatically decrease and the level of training most firefighters achieve would also likely be drastically reduced, should volunteers have to subsidize their own training.

Local municipal leaders worry that they will have to turn down requests from companies for increased contributions or raise taxes on already financially strapped residents should something not be done soon about the funding cuts.

Before that would happen, however, Matz and Mann said they believe legislators would step in.

“I think, at this point, the state has to be the funding source because our municipalities are running on shoestring budgets and I don’t see that they’re going to be able to pick up any of that slack,” Matz said.

In fact, about 40 people in the fire safety community from throughout the state, including Konkle, have taken up the issue, forming a working group to study how fire training can be better administered and funded.

Konkle said the group has suggested an additional fee be added to homeowner and car insurance policies sold across the state ranging from 0.5 to 1 percent, money that would be earmarked specifically for fire training.

He said he sees the proposal as a viable option – and so have a majority of those surveyed across the commonwealth in a public opinion poll conducted last fall by Penn State Harrisburg.

Of the 810 adults surveyed by phone, 543 said “yes” to the question: “Would you support an increase of one half of one percent on your home owner’s and/or auto insurance to support fire and EMS services in your community?”

“We think that’s a fairly powerful response to the poll,” Konkle said. “Of course, it would take legislation to make that happen, but I think it would return important money to every fire department in the commonwealth and do it more equally.”

Grants also on the line

Coupled with this issue, Mann said, is the fact that a state grant program that allows eligible organizations to apply for grant money to cover training, facilities, equipment and debt reduction, expires June 30, 2012.

Matz said most fire companies have received between $8,000 to $11,000 annually in state funds from a slot money fund.

Those grant funds, Mann said, may be looked at more in the coming years to cover the cost of firefighter training – a move that would limit the amount available for other expenses for which fire companies are already using the money.

The Volunteer Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program is funded from money from the state slot machine revenue, so Mann said the money is not a problem. Instead, people should be concerned with the reauthorization of legislation that dictates how the money should be spent.

Last week, legislation cosponsored by Reps. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, and Jerry Knowles, R-124, as well as 62 others, that would reauthorize that grant, was referred to the House committee on veterans affairs and emergency preparedness.

Jerry Knowles, R-124, said he believes the bill has a lot of support in the house.

In the Senate, there is support, too, Sen. Dave Argall, R-29, said.

“Several of us are working to be sure that that program survives into the future,” Argall said. “I learned a long time ago that volunteers save us a considerable fortune when it comes to emergency services so by spending a little bit now for helping our volunteers will save us a lot in the long run.”