City of Butler firefighters fight heavy smoke while gaining access to a residential building on Dec. 20. A new bill introduced in the state Senate will help with recruitment by introducing students to firefighting training. Butler Eagle file photo

A new bill introduced in Pennsylvania legislature has a local volunteer fire department head hopeful for the future of firefighter recruitment.

Senate Bill 114 is written to get students introduced to becoming a firefighter before joining a department, said Kevin Smith, deputy chief of the Butler Township Volunteer Fire District. The bill amends the Public School Code of 1949 to further provide firefighter and emergency service training, and it would establish the Secondary Education Fire Training Pilot Program and the Fire Training Fund.

Smith, who is also coordinator of fire and hazmat training programs at Butler County Community College, said the entry-level training commitment to be an interior firefighter is 164 hours. So getting students to take that training before their schedule is full of other commitments could help not only recruit firefighters, but retain them.

“If we can get their interest while they are still in high school, their interest may increase and attract their peers to be included in the group,” he said. “This is broken up into different training modules so you can take classes as the time permits.”

Junior members can start training when they turn 14, according to rules set by the state Department of Labor and Industry. The Butler County Area Vocational Technical School offers firefighting classes and certificates through its protective services program, and the school has credit articulation agreements with BC3 and Pittsburgh Technical College.

BC3’s fire and hazmat programs provide about 550 fire classes each year, for up to 9,600 students at BC3’s Public Safety Training Facility, and at offsite fire departments in 27 counties. The college also offers more than 100 state-accredited fire and hazmat courses instructed by state-accredited fire instructors. BC3 also provides customized courses to fit an individual fire department’s needs, Smith said.

The Senate Bill would further improve educational options for young firefighters.

“Any time we can get people interested in becoming volunteer firefighters is a benefit,” Smith said. “Due to the large training commitment it takes to become a firefighter, the earlier we get people interested — before they have full-time jobs and family commitments — the better.”

The bill saw its third consideration and final passage in a unanimous vote by the Senate on Jan. 18.