With hundreds of people across Butler County volunteering their time as part of various emergency services departments, county officials are working to help recognize them for their services.

Amy Marree, emergency management planner for the Butler County Emergency Services Department, is behind the initiative, which is called Recognition of Excellence in our Volunteers (REV).

The program provides a way for businesses to offer discounts on products or services to first responders and volunteers at emergency services departments throughout the county.

Marree said the idea was born several years ago at a training seminar where emergency services personnel were exchanging ideas about how to thank volunteers and increase volunteerism in counties across Pennsylvania.

She wanted to find a way to go beyond just saying “thank you,” to the men and women who give their time and often put themselves at risk to keep other residents safe.

What Marree came up with was a program — REV — that allows businesses to sign up for a two-year period, during which they will offer discounts of their choosing to volunteers who have a program ID card issued by Butler County Emergency Services.

Volunteers can apply for a REV program ID card by completing a form from Butler County Emergency Services, as long as they have approval from their respective chief or team leader, as well as a photo.

Businesses, similarly, can apply to participate in the program through the county's website. Forms for both businesses and volunteers are available on the county's website at: www.co.butler.pa.us/emergency-services-REV.

Currently the program, which went live last month, has six participating businesses that range from eateries to organizations that offer online classes.

The program is one of only a few similar initiatives across the state, Marree said. She called the push to thank volunteers vital for the emergency services community.

“Volunteerism for our department especially is critical,” Marree said. 'It's not only fire and EMS. It's also our specialty teams — they're all volunteers.”

On the county's website, emergency management officials point out that police, medical companies and fire departments responded to more than 125,000 calls in Butler County in 2017. Fire companies alone responded to more than 9,500 calls — about 26 calls per day, according to county officials.

Marree said she hopes more businesses, and volunteers, will become involved in the program as word spreads.

“I just think, in today's environment where volunteerism is becoming less and less and putting our vital resources into jeopardy, we're hoping this encourages people to volunteer and become a part of Butler County and keep our resources going,” she said.