The Pennsylvania State Senate approved a bill aimed at increasing the number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania by reforming the certification process without sacrificing quality or safety.
Current firefighter applicants must complete four training modules totaling 188 hours and pass a cumulative test covering all four modules. Senate Bill 1101 would enable applicants to be tested after each of the four modules.
In the 1970s, the commonwealth had as many as 300,000 volunteer firefighters. There currently are fewer than 38,000 volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania.