Bill O’Boyle: Shapiro plans to create safer communities by investing in county 9-1-1 systems

Apr. 2—WILKES-BARRE — Gov. Josh Shapiro this week highlighted his plans to create safer communities by investing in Pennsylvania's 9-1-1 emergency dispatch system, firefighters, and emergency medical services (EMS) providers.

Shapiro's budget would invest more than $50 million in county 9-1-1 systems and devote $36 million for equipment, training, and staffing needs for firefighters and EMS providers.

Shapiro's first budget — a "commonsense set of solutions" to the most pressing issues Pennsylvanians face — places a comprehensive focus on creating safer communities through investments in law enforcement officers and first responders.

Investing in county public safety networks is a top priority for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

"I know firsthand how our local municipal and county governments are on the front lines of keeping their communities safe, and they need our support now more than ever," Shapiro said. "My budget will ensure we do more to empower those on the front lines overseeing our emergency response effort. This is an issue that Democrats and Republicans support — because it's commonsense."

Across the Commonwealth, counties and local governments are facing shortages among the critical front line workers and first responders who help keep our communities safe. Statewide, 20% of full-time 9-1-1 dispatch jobs are currently unfilled. In 2018, there were 22,000 fewer volunteer firefighters than Pennsylvania had in the early 2000s and at least 6,000 fewer emergency medical technicians compared to 2012 — putting a strain on the departments Pennsylvanians rely on to help keep them safe.

Shapiro's budget invests in the law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders who play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. The Governor's budget also recognizes the challenges that counties face as those on the front lines by:

—Investing over $50 million in 9-1-1 dispatch systems and ties that funding to the cost of living so it keeps up with rising costs.

—Allocating a $36 million increase for critical resources for EMS and fire services — including equipment, training, and salaries — to support and grow our ranks of first responders.

—Investing $1.5 million — a 266% increase — in the Municipal Assistance Program to support local governments and help counties share emergency resources to implement emergency support services and lead community revitalization efforts.

—Creating the Public Safety and Protection Fund to sustainably fund the Pennsylvania State Police.

Rep. Meuser fighting for local

banks and small businesses

In January, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, was named chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access.

This week, Chairman Meuser presided over the subcommittee's first hearing, which was titled "The End of Relationship Banking? Examining the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's 'Small Business Lending Data Collection' Rule."

On Sept. 1, 2021, the CFPB published a notice of proposed rule-making (NPRM) in the Federal Register entitled, Small Business Lending Data Collection under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). The proposal would mandate financial institutions to collect and report demographic data on all small businesses applying for credit.

The purpose of the hearing was to examine the effect the proposed CFPB rule would have particularly on regional and community banks and how it could adversely impact small businesses.

President Biden's own Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy raised concerns estimating that the rule will have an initial $126 million impact on small financial institutions, and then going forward, an annual impact of $153 million.

Meuser noted, "Unlike mega-banks that can absorb such costs, these will crush smaller institutions that don't have the budget to absorb such new regulatory burdens."

Meuser also highlighted additional concerns expressed by the SBA's Office of Advocacy that the CFPB had failed to properly consider alternative less burdensome options, including an exemption for small lenders.

"The rule also creates racial profiling issues, privacy concerns, an unrealistic implementation window, and mandates excessive data collection of small business owners," Meuser continued. "In the digital age we live in, such personal information in the hands of so many different entities should give all of us, especially the CFPB, pause on such requirements."

During his closing remarks, Meuser again expressed his opposition to the rule saying, "At a time when Main Street America is dealing with unprecedented levels of inflation, interest rates that are being raised at the fastest pace since the 1980's, supply chain disruptions, and a prolonged labor shortage, adding more burdens to our country's job creators is the last thing the CFPB should be doing, but that is exactly what the bureau and the Biden Administration seem determined to do. Our small businesses and local community lenders deserve so much better."

Pa. commits $4.8M for safety and

security training for school employees

All school employees in Pennsylvania will receive three hours of safety and security training every year, at no charge to their schools, through a new training program grant approved this week by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's School Safety and Security Committee.

"Every parent in America knows the fear of sending their children to school and worrying whether they might not come home at the end of the day," said Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Chairman Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. "The horrors of Sandy Hook, of Uvalde, of Nashville, of Roxborough High School, of Westinghouse Academy and countless other communities are what keep parents up at night. We cannot harden our hearts to the violence that is plaguing our schools and our communities.

"Every kid deserves to be safe and feel safe, whether they're in the classroom, on the playing field, waiting for the bus or walking home from school."

Established in 2018 by Article XIII-B of the Pennsylvania Public School Code, the School Safety and Security Committee is tasked with several responsibilities, including:

—Administering funding allocated for School Safety and Security Grants and related programs;

—Developing criteria and standards for conducting school safety and security assessments;

—Issuing surveys to measure school safety and security preparedness and gauge availability of mental health services and supports within schools;

—Establishing training requirements for school resource officers, school police officers, and school security guards; and

—Developing model plans, guidelines, and resources focused on trauma-informed approaches in schools and K-12 threat assessment.

The Committee committed $4.8 million in state funding to support the development and launch of a new School Safety and Security Training program for school employees and School Safety and Security Coordinators, pursuant to Act 55 of 2022.

The school employee training will include an hour-long focus training on emergency training drills, including fire, natural disaster, active shooter, hostage situations and bomb threats, and the identification or recognition of student behavior that may indicate a threat the safety of that student, other students, school employees, other individuals, schools or the community.

Rep. Cabell to offer satellite

office hours at 9 locations

In an effort to provide convenient constituent services to all residents of the 117th Legislative District, Rep. Mike Cabell, R-Butler Township, will offer satellite office hours at nine locations in Luzerne County every month starting in April.

A member of Rep. Cabell's staff will be available to assist residents with state-related issues or concerns, including driver's license and vehicle registration forms and with applications for various state benefits, such as the Property Tax/Rent Rebate and the PACE/PACENET prescription drug assistance programs.

The satellite office hours are as follows:

—Dorrance Township Municipal Building

7844 Blue Ridge Trail, Mountaintop

First Tuesday of the month, 10 a.m. to noon.

—Fairmount Township Municipal Building

362 Municipal Road, Benton

First Tuesday of the month, 10 a.m. to noon.

—Hunlock Township Municipal Building

33 Village Drive, Hunlock Creek,

Second Tuesday of the month, 1-3 p.m.

—Nescopeck Borough Building

501 Raber Ave., Nescopeck

Second Tuesday of the month, 1-3 p.m.

—Ross Township Municipal Building

28 Schoolhouse Road, Sweet Valley

Second Tuesday of the month, 10 a.m. to noon.

—Salem Township Municipal Building

38 Bomboy Lane, Berwick

Second Tuesday of the month, 10 a.m. to noon.

—Shickshinny Borough Building

35 W. Union St., Shickshinny

Third Tuesday of the month, 10 a.m. to noon.

—Union Township Municipal Building

21 Municipal Road, Shickshinny

First Wednesday of the month, 9-11 a.m.

—White Haven Borough Office

312 Main St., White Haven

Third Tuesday of the month, 10 a.m. to noon.

Cabell also maintains two full-time district offices in Sugarloaf (669 State Route 93) and Dallas (1108 Twin Stacks Drive). Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.