A Pennsylvania House committee is weighing a measure that seeks to make changes in how fire and emergency services are administered in the state.
The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee took up House Bill 1819, which would create a state Fire Commission.
State Rep. Austin Davis, D-McKeesport, the bill’s sponsor, said his district includes professional and volunteer-led fire departments that face issues regarding the ability to provide essential services and the ability to recruit and retain members.
“The communities I serve in southeast Allegheny County are facing many of the same challenges in the delivery of fire and emergency medical services that we’re witnessing across this commonwealth,” Davis said.
He told the committee he’s watched as it passed more than 20 bills that have origins from the Senate Resolution 6 Report recommendations from 2018.