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Santorum Introduces Legislation to Provide Quality Surplus Equipment to Pennsylvania Volunteer Firefighters
April 12, 2005
For Immediate Release Contact: Christine Shott (202) 224-0610
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today reintroduced legislation to help volunteer firefighters receive quality firefighting equipment. Representative Mike Castle (R-DE) sponsored a companion bill (HR. 1787) in the House of Representatives in 2004, which passed by a vote of 397 to 3.
The Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act of 2005 will encourage donations of surplus firefighting equipment by reducing the threat of civil liability to heavy industry organizations and wealthier fire departments who currently destroy valuable firefighting equipment in order to avoid lawsuits. This bill eliminates civil liability barriers to donations of equipment by raising the liability standard for donors from “negligence” to “gross negligence.”
This legislation will ensure that quality equipment, otherwise wasted, will now benefit volunteer firefighters. The Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act of 2005 is modeled after a bill passed in the Texas state legislature in 1997 and signed by then-Governor George W. Bush, which resulted in more than $10 million in additional equipment donations from companies. In addition, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, and South Carolina have passed similar legislation at the state level.
“Over ninety percent of fire companies in Pennsylvania are volunteer fire companies, and we have all witnessed the heroic acts of selflessness and sacrifice of the firefighters in our neighborhoods in Pennsylvania. I am proud to sponsor this legislation which will provide our nation’s dedicated volunteer firefighters with additional safety equipment,” Santorum stated. “I urge my colleagues in the United States Senate to support the passage of this important legislation. Every day brave Pennsylvania men and women serve as first responders to emergencies without a second thought to their own safety. We need to provide them with as much protective equipment as they need, so they can continue to do their jobs effectively and without hesitation.”
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