Fire and Emergency Services

Emergency Services in PA

In 2018, the Senate completed its work and released Senate Resolution 6 Commission report to be used as a roadmap to revamp our Fire & EMS systems in Pennsylvania. This report provides an overview of emergency services in PA, as well as twenty-seven (27) recommendations that were agreed upon after coming through the six (6) subcommittee chairs who understood the crisis of fire and emergency services in PA. This report offers helpful tools such as a Fire/EMS Service Delivery Chart to assist communities in identifying their emergency service providers, as well as a Standard of Service Matrix to determine the acceptable level of emergency services in Pennsylvania communities.

Learn more about the technical and financial services we offer to the fire and emergency services community on our Regional Fire Factsheet.

West Shore Fire & Rescue

Management and Leadership Training

The Governor’s Center for Local Government Services provides education and training opportunities, focusing on topics such as Finance and Administration, through the PA Training Hub (PATH) – For Municipal Learning. The courses offered through the partnership are designed for municipal officials and other community leaders to keep current on new laws and requirements and to enhance their ability to govern and operate more effectively.

Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Association

In accordance with Act 91 of 2020, the Fire Commissioner’s office is required to publish on their website, eligible uses of the Municipal Pension Plan funds. DCED will no longer provide guidance on the use of these funds. For additional information, please contact the Fire Commissioner’s office by email or at 800.670.3473.

Fire Insurance Escrow Ordinances

The municipalities who have filed a fire escrow ordinance are listed in the Fire Insurance Escrow Ordinances database. To be included in this database, municipalities must submit a copy through email of their approved fire escrow ordinance to the Governor’s Center for Local Government Services.

Be sure to specify the following information with your submittal in order to avoid delays: municipality, county, contact person’s name, contact person’s position title, address, city, state, zip code, phone number and effective date of the ordinance.

Act 172-2016 Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit

Act 172 of 2016 provides municipalities with the option to offer a real estate or earned income tax credit to active members of volunteer fire companies and nonprofit emergency medical service agencies through a volunteer service credit program. Active volunteers who meet the service credit criteria established by the municipality in consultation with the fire chief or supervisor of the EMS agency would be eligible for the tax credit.
Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit Guidance

Our Partners in Public Safety

Pennsylvania Office of State Fire Commissioner

Pennsylvania Bureau of Emergency Medical Services

Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry Wildland Fire

Contact Information

For more information on regional fire and emergency services or for the Fire Insurance Escrow database, contact the Center for Local Government Services at 888.223.6837.