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Bill introduced to increase fire department training funding

February 06, 2011|By Mike Moore | mmoore@jessaminejournal.com

Photo by Mike Moore

Abill that would increase funding for training for full-time and volunteer fire departments was filed Feb. 1 by state Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Brownsville.

House Bill 268 would increase the annual amount of supplement funding for training of volunteer firefighters to $10,000 for each qualifying department and $3,500 per qualified firefighter for full-time fire departments.

Currently, qualified volunteer fire departments receive $8,250 annually and full-time departments get $3,000 for each qualified firefighter.

“The money is there for departments to use, but if they don’t use these funds, they are sent back to the state,” Meredith said. “House Bill 268 will allow departments to take money they already have and use it to enhance the fire departments and those firefighter programs instead of having to send it back to the state general fund every year.”

Jessamine County Fire District Chief Mike Rupard said his department routinely receives the $8,250.

“It’s state aid money,” he said. “As long as you maintain 50 percent of your rostered personnel with 20 hours of the training, then the state will give you (the funds) because we had over 50 percent of our people trained. To increase that by $2,000 would be great.”

Rupard said the money can be used to purchase new equipment.

“They will give you an approved list and a non-approved list, and then if you got anything other than what is on the approved list that you want, then you have to request it in writing to the fire commission,” he said.

Nicholasville Fire Chief Charles Brumfield said the increase, if passed, would be welcomed with open arms by members of his department.

“Mike (Rupard) gets the state aid, which is money out of the same fund that goes to volunteer fire departments,” Brumfield said. “(Full-time) departments, instead of receiving state aid for the department, receive state training incentive money that goes directly to the firefighters to off-set the expense of training and other things throughout the year.”

State Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, said whether HB 268 passes during the short session will depend on the budget.

“It depends on what the fiscal impact is going to be,” Damron said. “All of that is always an issue, especially in short sessions, when we’re not putting the budget up.”

Damron said oftentimes, items discussed in a short session that will impact the state’s budget will not get passed until the 90-session rolls around during an even-numbered year.

“There will be a lot of bills in this session that won’t get through the legislature just because it’s not a budget year and they have a budget impact,” he said.

Damron added that it’s always good idea to start discussions and build support for those bills during short sessions so when a 90-day session rolls around, they have a shot at passing.

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