Jul. 05, 2016
HARRISBURG – Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) expressed both disappointment and frustration after legislation that would have exempted volunteer fire companies from having to pay standby charges on sprinkler systems in their fire stations was effectively rejected by the state House last week.
“I cannot fathom why anyone would object to a bill that would help our financially strapped volunteer fire companies at very little cost to the people they protect,” Harper said. “It’s been six years since I first introduced this bill, and to see it sent back to another committee rather than receive a positive vote on the House floor is really devastating to me because I know it means at least one of my local fire companies will be forced to continue dedicating some of its scarce resources to raising funds to pay these fees rather than to its mission to protect public safety.”
Under
House Bill 1040, volunteer fire companies, nonprofit rescue squads and ambulance service organizations that own or rent structures equipped with an automatic fire protection system would be liable to pay just 25 percent of standby fees, which are fees assessed by water utilities on owners of non-residential buildings with sprinkler systems to help ensure a large amount of water is available should the system need to be activated. The remaining 75 percent would be subsidized by the public utility’s residential and commercial rate payers at pennies per year in the same area served by the volunteer companies.
Harper first introduced the bill back in 2010 after her local Harmonville Fire Company opted to install a sprinkler system when it renovated its fire station. The volunteer company is now being charged $2,400 annually in standby charges.
“You have to sell a lot of hoagies to raise $2,400,” Harper said. “While standby charges are certainly reasonable for commercial property owners, I find it unconscionable to apply such charges to a volunteer fire company with extremely limited resources. It’s not fair to the fire company or to the people who rely on it for their protection.”
Harper’s bill was approved unanimously by the House Local Government Committee last June and was brought before the full House for a vote on Thursday, June 30. Several amendments had been proposed but before even one of them was considered, the measure was referred to the House Consumer Affairs Committee for further study.
“This bill was the subject of a public hearing when it was first introduced and was approved by the Consumer Affairs Committee in a prior session, as well as by the Local Government Committee in this session,” Harper said. “The bill has been fully vetted and was ready to move forward.
“I will continue to fight for what is right, and that is to give our struggling fire companies relief from these standby fees,” she said.
Representative Kate Harper
61st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Rep. Harper’s Blue Bell Office
610.277.3230
KateHarper.net /
Facebook.com/RepKateHarper
kharper@pahousegop.com