04/07/1997 02:00 PM Senate CRA

                                                                               
           SB 139 AID TO VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS                          
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN MACKIE  called the Senate Community & Regional Affairs              
 Committee meeting to order at 2:00 p.m., and noted all members were           
 present.  He then brought SB 139 before the committee as the first            
 order of business.                                                            
                                                                               
  SENATOR TORGERSON , prime sponsor of SB 139, informed the committee          
 that since the previous hearing on the legislation, his office did            
 extensive research and came up with a proposed committee substitute           
 which will expand the existing state funding program to include               
 volunteer fire departments and EMS groups.                                    
                                                                               
 Number 050                                                                    
                                                                               
  SENATOR WILKEN  moved CSSB 139(CRA) be adopted.  Hearing no                  
 objection,  CHAIRMAN MACKIE  stated the motion carried.                       
                                                                               
 Number 055                                                                    
                                                                               
  MARY JACKSON , staff to Senator Torgerson, explained the committee           
 substitute takes the program out from under the municipal                     
 assistance program and makes it a stand-alone program.  When the              
 program is funded, it goes directly to volunteer fire departments             
 and EMS groups in the amounts determined by the funding level                 
 appropriated  by the Legislature.  Also, the title in the committee           
 substitute has been changed reflecting "volunteer services" because           
 the program has been expanded to include EMS services.  Both fire             
 and EMS services are limited to communities with a population of              
 2,500 or under, and EMS is limited to those that provide ambulance            
 services.  Both volunteer services have to be certified or                    
 registered with the state of Alaska.                                          
                                                                               
 Number 085                                                                    
                                                                               
  MARK JOHNSON , Chief, Community Health & Emergency Medical Services,         
 Department of Health & Social Services, testifying in support of              
 CSSB 139(CRA), said the department recognizes the difficulties that           
 volunteer agencies across the state face to get appropriately                 
 trained and equipped, etc., to the provide these services.  He                
 pointed out that the vast majority of the people who are in need of           
 EMS services are not local residents, especially when the service             
 is provided in highway areas, tourist impact areas, or commercial             
 fishing areas.                                                                
                                                                               
 Mr. Johnson directed attention to a document prepared by the                  
 department listing ambulance services that transport.  He noted the           
 list does not include organized first responder services that don't           
 transport.                                                                    
                                                                               
 Number 158                                                                    
                                                                               
  JERRY GENTILE , Division of Fire Prevention, Department of Public            
 Safety, voiced the department's support for CSSB 139(CRA) and                 
 stated he would respond to questions from the committee.                      
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN MACKIE  asked Mr. Gentile if he thought that with the way           
 this program is laid out it will give a lot more support to the               
 small volunteer departments, and  MR. GENTILE  answered that he               
 thinks it will have a positive impact on small volunteer                      
 departments that presently don't get enough money.                            
 Number 172                                                                    
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN MACKIE  commented that currently, when a municipality gets          
 money under municipal assistance or revenue sharing for fire                  
 protection services, it doesn't necessarily mean it's passed on to            
 the fire departments, so if this goes to the community specifically           
 for EMS or fire services, then these services should have a little            
 more leverage to make sure they get these funds.                              
                                                                               
 Number 195                                                                    
                                                                               
  BILL ROLFZEN , Division of Municipal & Regional Assistance,                  
 Department of Community & Regional Affairs, stated the department's           
 support for CSSB 139(CRA).                                                    
                                                                               
  SENATOR DONLEY  inquired how this legislation relates to the safe            
 communities funding bill.   SENATOR TORGERSON  responded that this is         
 a different program than the safe communities program and it                  
 wouldn't have an effect on that legislation.                                  
                                                                               
 Number 236                                                                    
                                                                               
  SENATOR WILKEN  moved that CSSB 139(CRA) be passed out of committee          
 with individual recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so             
 ordered.