Lawmakers launch bipartisan Fire & EMS Caucus
Rep. Lisa Borowski April 7, 2025 | 2:03 PM
HARRISBURG, April 7 – A bipartisan group of Pennsylvania state representatives today announced the creation of the PA House Fire and EMS Caucus to focus legislative attention on issues facing the commonwealth’s providers of emergency services.
State Reps. Lisa Borowski, D-Delaware; Greg Scott, D-Montgomery; Jill Cooper, R-Allegheny; and Jim Rigby, R-Cambria, came together last year to revive the caucus, and today’s news conference marked the formal introduction of the caucus and set forth their goals for the current legislative season.
Fire and EMS agencies throughout the state are largely nonprofit and staffed by volunteer personnel. They’ve seen steep declines in volunteer recruitment and retention and, at the same time, increased costs to sustain these overburdened services. Caucus members will propose several legislative actions focused on better funding and financial support for emergency service organizations, personnel safety and workforce development.
“We’ve been listening to firefighters, chiefs, and EMS workers not only in our own communities, but traveling to others across the commonwealth to hear their most pressing concerns. From those serving our cities to our townships, one message was consistent: fire and EMS systems are stretched thin,” Borowski said. “We determined that as a caucus, we need to concentrate on funding, staffing, and personnel safety.”
Scott is a volunteer firefighter and EMT, and said his experience has made clear the serious financial and staffing challenges volunteer emergency services face each day, despite their recognized importance to the communities they serve.
“Many emergency response agencies in Pennsylvania operate on a nonprofit and volunteer basis. With a lack of financial support and decreasing volunteer rates, we risk losing these critical, lifesaving services,” Scott said. “It’s long been time for legislative action to support the success of local emergency services. I’m proud to continue working alongside my Democratic and Republican peers to do the hard work that we owe the fire and EMS personnel who work so hard for us.”
“Our EMS providers are in a crisis right now, and If we don’t take urgent action, we risk facing a terrifying reality that when someone calls 911 for help, there might not be anyone available to respond,” Cooper said. “After 36 years of service, an EMS company in my district closed its doors because every time an ambulance is deployed inadequate insurance reimbursements guarantee a financial loss. This is a topic on which Harrisburg can no longer be silent.”
“As someone with experience as a volunteer fireman, I’m aware of the challenges faced by our emergency responders,” Rigby said. “With declining rates of volunteerism and resources being stretched, we must do everything we can to support the men and women who put their lives on the line in our time of need.”
Borowski closed the event by addressing first responders themselves.
“To any firefighters and EMS professionals listening right now: thank you. Thank you for your service, your resilience, and your honesty in sharing what you need. We hear you—and through this caucus, we’re getting to work,” Borowski said.
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