PRINTER'S NO. 1526
No. 1204 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY TOMLINSON, THOMPSON, HELFRICK, KUKOVICH, COSTA,
WAGNER, PUNT, EARLL, LEMMOND, BELL, WHITE, WAUGH, MOWERY,
O'PAKE, GERLACH, RHOADES, BRIGHTBILL, CONTI, BOSCOLA, MUSTO,
TILGHMAN AND LOEPER, NOVEMBER 18, 1999
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, NOVEMBER 18, 1999
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
15 fire department which provides fire protection services within
16 this Commonwealth.
17 "Office." The Office of the State Fire Commissioner within
18 the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
1 "Thermal imaging camera." A hand-held or helmet-mounted
2 camera that uses a thermal imaging system in order for a person
3 to view objects through smoke or darkness and that conforms to
4 specifications approved by the Office of the State Fire
5 Commissioner, in consultation with fire companies.
6 Section 3. Thermal imaging camera grant program.
7 (a) Authorization.--The office shall administer a thermal
8 imaging camera grant program, under which grants shall be made
9 available to fire companies that apply for financial assistance
10 for:
11 (1) the purchase of thermal imaging cameras; or
12 (2) the reimbursement of the cost of thermal imaging
13 cameras for which the fire companies expended public funds
14 other than State funds.
15 (b) Grant amounts.--A grant awarded under this act shall not
16 exceed $5,000.
17 (c) Grant application and agreement.--
18 (1) In order to receive a grant under this act, a fire
19 company must file an application, on a form prescribed by the
20 office, and must execute a grant agreement with the office.
21 (2) The grant agreement shall provide that if the grant
22 is for the purchase of a thermal imaging camera, the fire
23 company will use the grant moneys to purchase the camera
24 under the Statewide contract described in subsection (d).
25 (d) Statewide contract.--
26 (1) The office shall solicit competitive bids and shall
27 award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder for thermal
28 imaging cameras. The contract shall provide that the price
29 will be offered to any fire company that receives a grant
30 under this act and that seeks to purchase a thermal imaging
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1 camera with the grant.
2 (2) Except as provided in subsection (c)(2), no fire
3 company shall be required to purchase a thermal imaging
4 camera from the Statewide contract entered into in accordance
5 with this subsection.
6 (e) Matching funds.--The office may, in its discretion,
7 require that as a condition of receiving a grant under this act
8 a fire company provide matching funds, other than State moneys,
9 of an amount up to, but not in excess of, the grant amount
10 sought in the application. The amount of matching funds required
11 by the office shall be the same regardless of whether the fire
12 company seeks the grant for either the purchase or reimbursement
13 for the cost of a thermal imaging camera.
14 Section 4. Rules and regulations.
15 The office shall prescribe such rules and regulations as are
16 necessary or convenient for the implementation of this act.
17 Section 5. Appropriation.
18 The sum of $12,500,000, is hereby appropriated to the Office
19 of the State Fire Commissioner for the fiscal year July 1, 2000,
20 to June 30, 2001, to award imaging camera grants under this act.
21 Section 6. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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