(a) Authorization.-- The commissioner is authorized to make a grant award to each eligible EMS company for the following: (1) Construction and renovation of the EMS company's facilities and purchase or repair of fixtures, furnishings, office equipment and support services necessary to maintain or improve the capability of the services to provide ambulance, emergency medical, basic life support and advanced life support services. (2) Repair of ambulance equipment or purchase thereof. (3) Debt reduction associated with paragraph (1) or (2). (4) Training and certification of members. (5) Education of the general public regarding community risk reduction programs. (6) Recruitment and retention programs, including, but not limited to, programs for minors. (7) Revenue loss for grants issued in 2021 and 2022. (b) Limits.-- (1) Grants shall be not less than $2,500 and not more than $15,000 per EMS company. (2) Grants may be awarded on a pro rata basis if the total dollar amount of the approved application exceeds the amount of funds appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose. (3) If two or more EMS companies consolidated their use of equipment, personnel and services within 20 years preceding the date of the current year application submission deadline, the consolidated entity shall be deemed eligible to receive a grant not to exceed the amount of the combined total for which the individual companies would have been eligible had they not consolidated. (4) In a municipality where one volunteer fire company and one EMS company consolidate their use of equipment, personnel and services within 20 years preceding the date of the current year application submission deadline, the consolidated entity shall be deemed eligible to receive a grant not to exceed the amount of the combined total for which the individual companies would have been eligible had they not consolidated. (b.1) Eligibility.-- To receive grant funds under this chapter, an EMS company must be designated by a municipality as the municipality's primary EMS provider. (c) Time for filing application and department action.-- (1) By September 8 of each year, the commissioner shall provide applications and written instructions for grants under this chapter to the president or lead officer of every EMS company in this Commonwealth. (2) (i) EMS companies seeking grants under this chapter shall submit completed applications to the commissioner. (ii) Except as provided under subparagraph (iii): (A) The application period shall remain open for 45 days each year. (B) The commissioner shall act to approve or disapprove applications within 60 days of the application submission deadline each year. (C) Applications which have not been approved or disapproved by the commissioner within 60 days after the close of the application period each year shall be deemed approved. (iii) Upon request by an EMS company, the commissioner may extend the application period under subparagraph (ii)(A) for up to 45 additional days if the EMS company demonstrates hardship or undue burden that prevents the EMS company from submitting a completed application within the application period and if the EMS company requests the extension within 30 days of the date of the end of the application period. The commissioner shall have sole discretion to determine whether an EMS company has demonstrated hardship or undue burden under this subparagraph. (iv) Upon request by an EMS company, the commissioner shall extend the period to submit required reports for 15 additional days. An EMS company may only make a request under this subparagraph once every three years. 2024 Partial Repeal. Section 21(12)(i) of Act 54 provided that subsec. (c)(2) was repealed insofar as it is inconsistent with the addition of section 1735-E(b)(1) of the act of April 9, 1929, P.L.343, No.176, known as The Fiscal Code.
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