This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Increase to Loan Amounts for Volunteer Emergency Services

House Bill 1706 (HB 1706), which passed the Senate last week, would provide volunteer emergency service organizations some much needed financial flexibility and relief.  This legislation would double the amount of state loans to help various volunteer fire companies, ambulance service and rescue squads buy equipment.  Furthermore, it also gives loan incentives to companies that merge or consolidate.  The passing of this legislation comes just in time as more and more emergency service organizations are finding it difficult to maintain a steady stream of volunteers to continue serving their communities.  

HB 1706 increases loan amounts available for volunteer fire and ambulance companies under the Volunteer Loan Assistance Program (VLAP).  In particular, these loans provide assistance to financially challenged volunteer emergency service companies to purchase life-saving equipment and make updates to their facilities.  VLAP’s loan amounts have not been updated since 1984 and the passing of this legislation ensures that the loans granted under this program are more up to date with today’s growing costs. 

Loans are increased as follows:

Find out what's happening in Dormont-Brooklinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

·         Establishing and modernizing facilities - increased from $200,000 to $400,000, or 50 percent of the total cost, whichever is less

·         Purchasing apparatus, ambulances, etc. - increased from $100,000 to $200,000, or 50 percent of the total cost, whichever is less

Find out what's happening in Dormont-Brooklinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

·         Aerial apparatus - increased from up to $150,000 to up to $300,000

·         Ambulance or light duty rescue vehicle - increased from up to $50,000 to up to $100,000

·         Watercraft rescue vehicle - increased from up to $15,000 to up to $30,000, or 50 percent of the cost of the vehicle, whichever is less

·         Purchasing protective equipment, etc. - increased from up to $10,000 to up to $20,000

·         Repair of apparatus equipment - increased from $1,000-$35,000 to at least $2,000- $70,000, or 80 percent of cost, whichever is less

·         Purchasing used apparatus - increased from $60,000 to $120,000, or 80 percent of cost, whichever is less

·         Purchase of PennFIRS (reporting system hardware and software) - a one-time only loan is increased from up to $2,000 to up to $4,000, or 75 percent of cost, whichever is less

·         Purchase of equipment manufactured/assembled in Pennsylvania – increased from $10,000 to $20,000

Loans of up to $30,000 will be for a period of up to 10 years while loans between $30,000 and $100,000 will be for not more than 15 years. 

This legislation also adds that a volunteer emergency service company would not be eligible for more than three agency loans at one time.  In an effort to encourage companies to consolidate or merge into one single entity, the law will now permit this entity to be eligible for no more than 10 agency loans at one time for a period of 10 years from the date in which they merged into one entity. 

HB 1706 passed the General Assembly unanimously and will now provide these essential organizations the tools and flexibility they need to continue to serve the people in the community.  I was pleased to support this legislation as it represents a thoughtful and comprehensive approach in assisting these volunteer organizations with the challenges they currently face. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?