(a) Authorization.--The agency is authorized to make a grant award to each eligible fire company for the following:

(1) Construction and renovation of the fire company's facility and purchase or repair of fixtures and furnishings necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the company to provide fire, ambulance and rescue services.

(2) Repair of firefighting, ambulance or rescue equipment or purchase thereof.

(3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2).

(4) Training and certification of members.

(5) Training and education of the general public regarding fire prevention.

(a.1) Additional uses for paid municipal fire companies.--In addition to the authorized uses under subsection (a), the commissioner may establish additional authorized uses of grant funds for paid municipal fire companies. Additional authorized uses established under this subsection must be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and on the commissioner's publicly accessible Internet website.

(a.2) Additional grants.--Each fire company with not more than 20 members who are certified by the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications or by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress and are verified by the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy at a minimum level of Firefighter 1 on or before July 1 of the year of the grant application shall be eligible to receive additional grants under a certification bonus point system as administered by the commissioner.

(b) Limits.--

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more than $15,000 per fire company.

(2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the total dollar amount of the approved application exceeds the amount of funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose.

(3) In a municipality where there are two or more volunteer fire companies and if two or more volunteer fire companies consolidated their use of equipment, firefighters and services within 10 years preceding the date of the current year application submission deadline, the consolidated entity shall be deemed eligible to receive a grant not to exceed the amount of the combined total for which the individual companies would have been eligible had they not consolidated.

(c) Time for filing application and department action.--

(1) Within 30 days of June 28, 2007, for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, and by September 1 of each year thereafter, the agency shall provide written instructions for grants under this chapter to:

(i) except as set forth in subparagraph (ii), the fire chief and president of every fire company; or

(ii) in the case of a municipal fire company, the chief executive of the municipality.

(2) Within 45 days of June 28, 2007, for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, and by September 8 of each year thereafter, the agency shall provide applications to individuals specified in paragraph (1). The application for the fiscal years commencing July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, shall be a combined application. Fire companies seeking grants under this chapter shall submit completed applications to the agency. The application period shall remain open for 45 days each year. The agency shall act to approve or disapprove applications within 60 days of the application submission deadline each year. Applications which have not been approved or disapproved by the agency within 60 days after the close of the application period each year shall be deemed approved.

(d) Eligibility.--To receive grant funds under this chapter, a fire company must:

(1) Have actively responded to at least 10 fire or rescue emergencies during the previous calendar year.

(2) Be actively participating in the Pennsylvania Fire Information Reporting System under a signed agreement. The commissioner shall develop and publish guidelines specifying the criteria necessary to determine the level of participation in the Pennsylvania Fire Information Reporting System to remain eligible for grant funds.

(June 29, 2012, P.L.663, No.78, eff. imd.; June 30, 2016, P.L.432, No.60, eff. imd.)

Cross References. Section 7813 is referred to in section 7842 of this title.