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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ADOPTED
May 17, 2007
H. 3045
Introduced by Reps. Cooper, Cobb-Hunter, Umphlett, Mahaffey, Sandifer, G.R. Smith, Hamilton, Davenport, Mitchell, Miller, Battle, Thompson, J.R. Smith, J.H. Neal, M.A. Pitts, Cotty, Ballentine, Haley, Ceips, Funderburk, Brady, White, Kirsh, Jefferson, Vick, McLeod, Harrell, Littlejohn, Lucas, Branham, Delleney, Bowen, Gambrell, Gullick and Sellers
S. Printed 5/17/07--S. [SEC 5/18/07 3:10 PM]
Read the first time April 25, 2007.
TO ENACT THE "VOLUNTEER STRATEGIC ASSISTANCE AND FIRE EQUIPMENT ACT OF 2007 (V-SAFE)" BY ADDING CHAPTER 51 TO TITLE 23, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS ANNUALLY FOR GRANTS THAT MUST BE AWARDED TO CERTAIN VOLUNTEER AND COMBINATION FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTECTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND REGIONAL RESPONSE AREAS FROM INCIDENTS OF FIRE, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, TERRORISM, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE SAFETY OF VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE GRANTS MUST BE ADMINISTERED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE FIREFIGHTERS' ASSOCIATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH A PEER REVIEW PANEL.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. (A) It is the purpose of this act to create the 'Volunteer Strategic Assistance and Fire Equipment Pilot Program (V-SAFE)'.
(B) This act is contingent upon the General Assembly appropriating funds for the offering of grants of not more than thirty thousand dollars to eligible volunteer and combination fire departments for the purpose of protecting local communities and regional response areas from incidents of fire, hazardous materials, terrorism, and to provide for the safety of volunteer firefighters.
(C)(1) As contained in this chapter:
(a) 'chartered fire department' means a public or governmental sponsored organization providing fire suppression activities with a minimum of a Class 9 rating from the Insurance Services Office;
(b) 'chartered volunteer fire department' means a fire department whose personnel serves with no compensation or is paid on a per call basis; and
(c) 'chartered combination fire department' means a fire department with both members who are paid and members who serve as volunteer firefighters.
(2) Chartered volunteer fire departments and chartered combination fire departments with a staffing level that is at least fifty percent volunteer are eligible to receive grants pursuant to this chapter. A chartered fire department that receives a grant must comply with the firefighter registration provisions of Act 60 of 2001 and sign the statewide mutual aid agreement with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.
(D) The amount of the grants awarded shall not exceed thirty thousand dollars per year for each eligible chartered fire department with no matching or in-kind money required. A chartered fire department may be awarded only one grant in a three-year period.
(E) The grant money received by a chartered fire department must be used for the following purposes:
(1) fire suppression equipment;
(2) self-contained breathing apparatus;
(3) portable air refilling systems;
(4) hazardous materials spill leak detection, repair, and recover equipment;
(5) protective clothing and equipment;
(6) new and used fire apparatus;
(7) incident command vehicles;
(8) special operations vehicles;
(9) training;
(10) rescue equipment;
(11) medical equipment;
(12) decontamination equipment; and
(13) safety equipment.
(F)(1) The State Fire Marshal shall administer the grants in conjunction with a peer review panel.
(2) The peer review panel shall consist of ten voting members who shall serve without compensation. Seven members must be fire chiefs from each of the seven regions of the State as defined by the State Fire Marshal. The Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee shall appoint fire chiefs from Regions 1, 2, 3, and 7. The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee shall appoint fire chiefs from Regions 4, 5, and 6, and one at-large fire chief. The State Fire Marshal also shall serve as a member. The President of the South Carolina State Firefighters' Association shall serve as chairman of the committee.
(3) The peer review committee shall establish performance-based guidelines for a successful grant application and award grants based on these guidelines.
(4) The State Fire Marshal shall:
(a) develop a grant application package utilizing the guidelines developed by the peer review committee;
(b) establish and market a written and electronic version of the grant application package;
(c) provide an annual report of all grant awards and corresponding chartered fire department purchases to the respective Chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee;
(d) provide all administrative support to the peer review committee; and
(e) provide a grants web page for electronic applications.
(5) By March fifteenth, the peer review panel must submit a report to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee detailing actions made by the panel regarding the awarding of grants and evaluating the success of the program.
(G)(1) Three percent of these funds must be awarded to the South Carolina State Firefighters' Association annually for the express purpose of establishing and maintaining a recruitment and retention program for volunteer firefighters.
(2) By March fifteenth, the association must submit a report to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee explaining and itemizing the expenditure of any of the funds awarded in subsection (A).
(H) The provisions of this chapter expire June 30, 2008.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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