PRINTER'S NO. 352
No. 323 Session of 1977
INTRODUCED BY A. K. HUTCHINSON, FEBRUARY 14, 1977
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 14, 1977
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," providing for a fire and
21 life safety commissioner as a deputy secretary in the
22 Department of Labor and Industry; prescribing his powers and
23 duties; and making an appropriation.
24 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
25 hereby enacts as follows:
26 Section 1. The act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known
27 as "The Administrative Code of 1929," is amended by adding a
28 section to read:
29 Section 2215. Fire and Life Safety.--(a) The Secretary of
1 Labor and Industry shall appoint, with the approval of the
2 Governor, a deputy secretary who shall have the title of Fire
3 and Life Safety Commissioner and shall provide him with
4 sufficient personnel and materials to enable him to exercise his
5 powers and duties including personnel qualified in the arts of
6 fire suppression and fire and life safety. All positions under
7 the commissioner shall be deemed to be included in the list of
8 positions set forth in section 3(d), act of August 5, 1941
9 (P.L.752, No.286), known as the "Civil Service Act," and the
10 provisions and benefits of that act shall be applicable to the
11 employes of, and positions in, the office of the commissioner.
12 (b) The commissioner shall adopt and enforce a fire safety
13 and fire life safety code and shall adopt regulations
14 establishing minimum standards for fire suppression, for fire
15 prevention and for the protection of life and property against
16 fire and panic caused by fire. A political subdivision may
17 establish and enforce additional and more stringent requirements
18 than those adopted by the commissioner.
19 (c) The commissioner shall have the additional power, and
20 his duty shall be:
21 (1) To adopt and regulate educational fire safety programs
22 for the public generally and for the public and private school
23 systems through the twelfth grade of education.
24 (2) To establish a system of Statewide inspections for fire
25 hazards, training and utilizing the various fire departments for
26 such inspections.
27 (3) To develop and regulate a Statewide training program for
28 fire department personnel.
29 (4) To adopt and regulate standards of fire department
30 equipment.
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1 (5) To establish programs of regional fire protection.
2 (6) To be responsible for the collection and interpretation
3 of fire statistical data.
4 (7) To identify and make public the location of hospitals
5 within this Commonwealth that are equipped and staffed to offer
6 specialized treatment for burn cases.
7 (8) To exercise such additional powers as shall be necessary
8 to carry the provisions of this section.
9 Section 2. The sum of $2,100,000 or as much thereof as may
10 be necessary, is hereby specifically appropriated to the
11 Department of Labor and Industry for the fiscal year July 1,
12 1977 to June 30, 1978 to carry out the provisions of this act.
13 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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