Title 35, HEALTH AND SAFETY

Two or more volunteer firefighters' relief associations may jointly cooperate to enter into agreements to make expenditures that are authorized under this subchapter. A joint cooperation agreement may be enforced by and against a volunteer firefighters' relief association.

(a) General rule.-- (1) The Office of Auditor General shall have the power and its duty shall be to audit the accounts and records of every volunteer firefighters' relief association receiving money under Chapter 7 of the act of December 18, 1984 (P.L.1005, No.205), known as the …

(a) Withdrawal.--If the voters elect to replace a volunteer fire company with a full-paid fire department or company and the volunteer company which has been replaced ceases to render fire service to any community, the volunteer company shall withdraw from the volunteer firefight…

(a) Study.--The State Fire Advisory Board shall have the following duties: (1) Review and make findings and recommendations regarding the fire relief funding formula and fire relief services in this Commonwealth. (2) Hold public meetings regarding the fire relief funding formula …

This subchapter relates to employment sanctions.

The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Discipline." The taking of an action against an employee which adversely affects his regular pay to an extent greate…

No employer shall terminate or discipline an employee who is a volunteer fireman, a volunteer member of the fire police or a volunteer member of an ambulance service or rescue squad and, in the line of duty, has responded to a call prior to the time he was due to report for work …

No employer shall discriminate against an employee because the employee has been injured in the line of duty as a volunteer fireman, a volunteer member of the fire police or a volunteer member of an ambulance service or rescue squad, nor shall an employer discriminate against an …

Time lost from employment as provided in section 7423 (relating to prohibition on termination and discipline) may be charged to the regular pay of the employee. Cross References. Section 7425 is referred to in section 7422 of this title.

An employee losing time as provided in section 7423 (relating to prohibition on termination and discipline) shall supply his employer with a statement from the chief executive officer of his volunteer fire company, ambulance service or rescue squad or its affiliated organization …

(a) Employers.--An employer who willfully and knowingly violates this subchapter shall be required to revoke a disciplinary action and any penalty attached thereto or to reinstate such employee to his former position and shall be required to pay the employee all lost wages and be…

This subchapter applies to a volunteer fire company in any city, borough, town, township or home rule municipality. Cross References. Section 7431 is referred to in section 7433 of this title.

An entity under section 7431 (relating to scope of subchapter) may nominate any of its members as special fire police.

Special fire police nominated under this subchapter shall, before they enter upon their duties, be confirmed by the mayor of the city, the mayor of the borough or town, the chairman of the board of commissioners or supervisors of the township or the chief executive officer of a h…

(a) Specific powers.--When confirmed and sworn and displaying a badge of authority, special fire police shall have full power to regulate traffic and keep crowds under control at or in the vicinity of any fire on which their companies are in attendance and to exercise other polic…

Whenever a volunteer fire company is in attendance on a fire or when the special fire police are on special duty as provided under this subchapter, the special fire police in a city, borough, town or township, other than the one in which the fire company is organized, shall have …

All special fire police when on duty shall display a badge of authority and shall be subject to the control of the chief of police, if any, of the city, borough, town or township in which they are serving, or, if none, of a member of the Pennsylvania State Police.

(a) Establishing emergency management organization.--Each political subdivision of this Commonwealth is directed and authorized to establish a local emergency management organization in accordance with the plan and program of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Each loc…

(a) General rule.--Each local organization of emergency management shall have a coordinator who shall be responsible for the planning, administration and operation of the local organization subject to the direction and control of the executive officer or governing body. (b) Count…

Each political subdivision shall, either individually or pursuant to the provisions of the act of July 12, 1972 (P.L.762, No.180), referred to as the Intergovernmental Cooperation Law, adopt an Intergovernmental Cooperation agreement with other political subdivisions to: (1) Prep…

(a) Responsibility for direction and coordination.--Direction of disaster emergency management services is the responsibility of the lowest level of government affected. When two or more political subdivisions within a county are affected, the county organization shall exercise r…

(a) General rule.--Every political subdivision shall have the power to make appropriations for the payment of expenses of the local organization in the manner provided by law for making appropriations for the ordinary expenses of the political subdivision. In making appropriation…

(a) General rule.--Where the jurisdiction of the local organization is coterminous with the political subdivision making an appropriation for the payment of the expenses, the local organization shall be deemed an agency, board or commission of the political subdivision, subject t…

(a) General rule.--Where a local organization has jurisdiction in an area including all or parts of more than one political subdivision which does not include the whole area of any county, the political subdivisions, all or part of which lie within the jurisdiction of the organiz…

(a) General rule.--All bills or claims to be paid from any appropriation made by a political subdivision coterminous with the local organization, after first being approved by the local organization or an appropriate officer thereof designated for that purpose, shall be paid from…

(a) General rule.--Where two or more political subdivisions have entered into an agreement as provided by section 7513 (relating to agreements among political subdivisions), all bills and claims for expenses incurred by or for the local organization shall thereafter be paid in th…

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Cooperating officials and agencies." Includes the following: (1) The Department of Human Services of the Commonwealth. …

(a) General rule.--The secretary, in consultation with cooperating officials and agencies, shall develop mental wellness and stress management guidelines to assist emergency responders who: (1) Suffer or may have suffered post-traumatic stress injuries or traumatic brain injuries…

(a) Establishment of peer-to-peer support programs.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the secretary shall establish at least one regional peer-to-peer support service program within the service area of each of the department's regional or district offices located in th…

(a) Establishment.--The department, in conjunction with cooperating officials and agencies, shall develop and establish guidelines for the recruitment and training of entities capable of providing peer-to-peer support under section 75A03 (relating to peer-to-peer support programs…

(a) General rule.--The department shall: (1) Establish a toll-free helpline to respond to calls from emergency responders who have been involved in a critical incident or are dealing with mental wellness issues. (2) Obtain the toll-free telephone number 866-1ST-HELP for such purp…

(a) Establishment.--The department, in consultation with the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council's Critical Incident Stress Management Committee, which shall consist of representatives of emergency responders and the Pennsylvania Critical Incident Stress Management Net…

(a) Training required.--The department shall develop a program of trauma and suicide awareness and impact training. The department may partner or contract with a third-party entity to provide the necessary training. The department shall require trauma and suicide awareness and im…

Nothing under this chapter shall prohibit the department or cooperating officials and agencies from contracting with nonprofit organizations to offer support services to eligible emergency responders in accordance with this chapter.

The department and cooperating officials and agencies shall post on their respective publicly accessible Internet websites the contact information of entities offering support services under this chapter and shall update the posting annually.

(a) Disclosure.--Except as provided under subsection (b), a trained peer support provider or coparticipant present during peer support services or a helpline operator may not disclose any information regarding an emergency responder without the consent of the emergency responder.…

The department may expend annually an amount not to exceed $250,000 from the money allocated to the Catastrophic Medical and Rehabilitation Fund for victims of trauma.

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all jurisdictions legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows: Article I Purpose and Authorities This compact is made and entered into by and between the participating me…

The Governor or a designee shall exercise the powers, duties and responsibilities set forth in section 7601 (relating to compact enacted).

The Governor shall examine threats to the security and safety of the Commonwealth and execute appropriate interstate mutual aid plans and procedures as may be necessary to implement this compact.

(a) Expenditures.--In addition to the funds which the Governor is authorized to transfer for disasters in accordance with 35 Pa.C.S. § 7307 (relating to use and appropriation of unused Commonwealth funds), the Governor may transfer any other appropriated but unused funds in an am…

For purposes of Article VI of the compact, the term "officers or employees of a party state" shall be construed to include urban search and rescue response teams as defined in section 7202 (relating to definitions) that are assets of the Federal Emergency Management Agency or Pen…

(a) Governor.--In addition to disaster prevention measures included in the Commonwealth and local plans, the Governor shall consider on a continuing basis steps that could be taken to prevent or reduce the harmful consequences of disasters. The Governor, from time to time, shall …

(a) General rule.--Whenever any person or the Federal Government or any Federal agency or officer offers to the Commonwealth or, through the Commonwealth, to any political subdivision, services, equipment, supplies, materials or funds by way of gift, grant or loan for purposes of…

(a) General rule.--Upon finding that a vulnerable area lies only partly within this Commonwealth and includes territory in another state or states or territory in a foreign jurisdiction and that it would be desirable to establish an interstate relationship, mutual aid or an area …

(a) General rule.--Neither the Commonwealth, nor any Commonwealth agency, nor any political subdivision, nor, except in cases of willful misconduct, gross negligence, recklessness or bad faith, the agents, employees or representatives of any of them engaged in any emergency servi…