Volunteer fire departments across Pennsylvania continue to face challenges in recruiting and retaining personnel. State Rep. Jill Cooper (R-Export) highlighted that approximately 90% of the more than 2,400 fire companies in the state depend on volunteers. The number of volunteer emergency responders has declined significantly from about 300,000 in the 1970s to an estimated 37,000 today.
Cooper emphasized the need for legislative action as there are many reasons for the shortage and a variety of potential solutions. “From my perspective, we should discuss all of them. This is why I was happy to support recent legislation focused on recruiting and retaining volunteer first responders,” she said.
Act 33 of 2025 was signed into law in July and seeks to improve training and education requirements for those pursuing Firefighter I certification. Previously, trainees were required to take one cumulative test at the end of a 180-hour course administered by the Office of the State Fire Commissioner (OSFC). Under the new law, trainees can now be tested after each module while curriculum standards remain unchanged.
“I could see how 180 hours of information being lumped into one test could be daunting. It is important to remember that new volunteer firefighters can include a variety of individuals of different age groups and in various stages of their professional work. Allowing them to demonstrate mastery of this information in a way that is better aligned to their learning style certainly does make sense,” Cooper stated.
Another measure, Act 25 of 2025, allows OSFC to recognize relevant on-the-job training already completed by firefighter trainees toward their certification requirements. Cooper commented on this change: “It is hard enough to recruit and retain volunteers, forcing a recruit to complete training they already have clears a bureaucratic regulation out of the way.”
Additionally, House Bill 1306 would exempt length-of-service awards for volunteer firefighters from state income taxes by excluding these distributions from taxable income under Pennsylvania’s Personal Income Tax code. According to Cooper: “Recruiting new firefighters is important but so is retaining our existing volunteers. Some fire companies offer length of service award programs to volunteers who remain with the fire company for a dedicated amount of time. Obviously, it’s counterproductive to work so hard on increasing our number of volunteer firefighters and then taxing a financial award thanking them for their service.” The bill awaits consideration in the Senate.
Cooper noted that volunteer firefighting has become integral within western Pennsylvania communities. She described how volunteers dedicate significant time not only responding to emergencies but also performing maintenance tasks or fundraising activities such as selling food at events.
“And we should be glad they love what they do,” Cooper said. “Pennsylvania law requires local governments to provide fire and emergency medical services. State fire officials estimate that volunteer firefighters save Pennsylvania communities about $10 billion annually.”
She encouraged residents interested in volunteering with local fire companies to learn more at www.pa.gov/agencies/osfc/volunteer.
In other district news:
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority has provisionally approved $793 million for broadband expansion projects throughout Pennsylvania pending federal approval through its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The authority opened a seven-day public comment period following last Friday’s vote; more details are available at https://broadband.pa.gov/.
A Seniors for Safe Driving event will take place Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., at Washington Township Volunteer Fire Company in Apollo. The class is intended for drivers aged 55 or older; participants receive reminders on safe driving techniques without any exam or road test required and may qualify for an auto insurance discount upon completion.
The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office invites contributions documenting barns across the state as part of efforts celebrating rural traditions; submissions can be made via https://pahistoricpreservation.com/.
For further information or assistance regarding district matters, residents can contact RepJillCooper.com or Facebook.com/RepJillCooper.
