HANOVER TWP., Pa. – As a contractor, we met Tito Burgos at LVIA, a job that pays, to talk about the one that doesn’t.
“When you started 42 years ago to now, guess, what’s been the biggest change you’ve seen?” I asked him.
“Lack of people,” he said.
As Chief of Emerald Star Hose #1 Volunteer Fire Company in Washington Township, Lehigh County, Burgos says the decline in volunteer firefighters is a massive problem. He said only five of his 25 volunteers showed up for a recent fire in Slatington.
“And my team was inside for 12 minutes before the next truck got there,” he said.
Statewide, volunteer firefighters have dropped from 300,000 in the 1970’s to 36,000 today.
The point was stressed to Ryan Mackenzie and his fellow House Republican Policy Committee members at a recent town hall held at the Emerald Star Hose Department.
Multiple volunteer fire and EMS companies testified, including Burgos, who said Emerald operates on a $200,000 yearly budget but receives only $52,000 in funding. However, he says while funding needs to increase, money doesn’t solve all the issues. Neighboring departments have big budgets but still can’t recruit new staff.
Aside from needing new recruits, Burgos wants to streamline the grant writing process and make it a one-stop shop for all grants – state, federal and private.
“All the private ones, it’s a hit or miss, you have to go looking for them. And it’s usually a lot of word of mouth where they’re at,” he said.
For Suburban EMS in Palmer Township legislative chair Don DeReamus, key issues are overhauling how EMS companies get paid, which has been stagnant for 15 years, and expanding compensation for PTSD, which he says has decimated the industry.
The Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania says if something doesn’t change, access to care will be limited. Smaller companies in rural areas will have to close and some may need to wait up to 45 minutes to get help.
“I’m encouraged. Both the Republicans and the Democrats have had policy committee hearings like this, and they all seem to be on board. It’s just a matter of getting legislation passed,” he said.
Mackenzie says he’s working on bills to address the issues.