Upper Macungie Lobbies for Firefighter Incentives

Like most small and medium-sized municipalities, saves a bundle by relying on volunteer firefighters rather than a paid department to respond to fires and other emergencies.

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But finding volunteers who are willing to put in the time and get the necessary training to be a firefighter is no easy task, according to Township Supervisor Kathy Rader. 

“Retention and recruitment is tough,” Rader said. “It’s harder and harder all the time.”

That’s why incentives for volunteer firefighters were on the agenda last month when Rader took part in a day of lobbying Congress as a member of the National Association of Towns and Townships.

Rader said she was part of a delegation that met with Representatives Charlie Dent and Jim Gerlach and aides for Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey.

Volunteer firefighter incentives were among several issues the delegation lobbied for, including relief from unfunded or underfunded mandates.

Currently Upper Macungie reimburses each firefighter $5 for gas for each call he or she attends. Federal law allows those firefighters to avoid paying income tax on the first $360 per year of such gratuities. 

“We’re trying to get that bumped up to $600 or more,” Rader said.

The national association estimates that 71 percent of all firefighters in the U.S. are volunteers and they save communities $128 billion a year.

Another issue the local delegation lobbied for was trying to get the federal government to back off on how quickly municipalities have to replace all their street signage with signs that are more reflective at night and are in upper and lower case letters instead of all capitals.

Communities such as Upper Macungie are prepared to make the change but seek to do so as the signs need to be replaced, not all at once, which could be costly, she said. 

Rader said township officials have a good rapport with federal and state elected officials and the lobbying was productive.

“Unless they hear from us, they don’t really know how [legislation] filters down to affect us,” she said.