PRINTER'S NO. 625
No. 557 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY DALLY, BASTIAN, BELFANTI, BEYER, BOYD,
CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, COHEN, CREIGHTON, DALEY,
DENLINGER, DePASQUALE, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FREEMAN,
GEIST, GERGELY, GILLESPIE, GOODMAN, GRELL, HARRIS, HERSHEY,
HESS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, HUTCHINSON, KILLION, KULA,
MAHONEY, MANN, McILHATTAN, MELIO, MICOZZIE, MILLARD,
R. MILLER, MURT, NAILOR, O'NEILL, PHILLIPS, RAYMOND,
READSHAW, REICHLEY, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SAMUELSON, SAYLOR,
SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, STABACK, R. STEVENSON, SURRA, TANGRETTI,
J. TAYLOR, WALKO, WANSACZ, YOUNGBLOOD AND SOLOBAY,
MARCH 6, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, MARCH 6, 2007
AN ACT
1 Establishing a grant program for fire companies to purchase or
2 receive reimbursement for the cost of thermal imaging
3 cameras; providing for the powers and duties of the Office of
4 the State Fire Commissioner; and making an appropriation.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Fire Company
9 Thermal Imaging Camera Grant Program Act.
10 Section 2. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Fire company." A municipal fire department or volunteer
1 fire department which provides fire protection services within
2 this Commonwealth.
3 "Office." The Office of the State Fire Commissioner within
4 the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
5 "Thermal imaging camera." A hand-held or helmet-mounted
6 camera that uses a thermal imaging system in order for a person
7 to view objects through smoke or darkness and that conforms to
8 specifications approved by the Office of the State Fire
9 Commissioner, in consultation with fire companies.
10 Section 3. Thermal imaging camera grant program.
11 (a) Authorization.--The office shall administer a thermal
12 imaging camera grant program, under which grants shall be made
13 available to fire companies that apply for financial assistance
14 for:
15 (1) the purchase of thermal imaging cameras; or
16 (2) the reimbursement of the cost of thermal imaging
17 cameras for which the fire companies expended public funds
18 other than State funds.
19 (b) Grant amounts.--A grant awarded under this act shall not
20 exceed $5,000.
21 (c) Grant application and agreement.--
22 (1) In order to receive a grant under this act, a fire
23 company must file an application, on a form prescribed by the
24 office, and must execute a grant agreement with the office.
25 (2) The grant agreement shall provide that if the grant
26 is for the purchase of a thermal imaging camera, the fire
27 company will use the grant moneys to purchase the camera
28 under the Statewide contract described in subsection (d).
29 (d) Statewide contract.--
30 (1) The office shall solicit competitive bids and shall
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1 award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder for thermal
2 imaging cameras. The contract shall provide that the price
3 will be offered to any fire company that receives a grant
4 under this act and that seeks to purchase a thermal imaging
5 camera with the grant.
6 (2) Except as provided in subsection (c)(2), no fire
7 company shall be required to purchase a thermal imaging
8 camera from the Statewide contract entered into in accordance
9 with this subsection.
10 (e) Matching funds.--The office may, in its discretion,
11 require that as a condition of receiving a grant under this act
12 a fire company provide matching funds, other than State moneys,
13 of an amount up to, but not in excess of, the grant amount
14 sought in the application. The amount of matching funds required
15 by the office shall be the same regardless of whether the fire
16 company seeks the grant for either the purchase or reimbursement
17 for the cost of a thermal imaging camera.
18 Section 4. Rules and regulations.
19 The office shall prescribe such rules and regulations as are
20 necessary or convenient for the implementation of this act.
21 Section 5. Appropriation.
22 The sum of $12,500,000 is hereby appropriated to the Office
23 of the State Fire Commissioner for the fiscal year July 1, 2007,
24 to June 30, 2008, to award imaging camera grants under this act.
25 Section 6. Effective date.
26 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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