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HARRISBURG (Nov 21) –
The State Senate today sent a bill
to the Governor that would prevent
anyone convicted of arson from
serving as a
firefighter in Pennsylvania.
If the bill is
enacted, anyone convicted of a
felony such as arson would be
prohibited from serving as a member
of a paid, municipal fire department
or one of the state’s 2,664
volunteer fire departments.
Governor Rendell is
expected to sign the bill.
Senator Lisa Boscola,
who authored the bill, said she was
shocked to learn “there are more
arsonists working side-by-side with
local firefighters right at this
very moment than most people
realize.”
Permitting
arsonists to serve on local
firefighting crews compromises the
safety of innocent people and other
firefighters, she said.
“A lot of people
don’t understand the mentality of an
arsonist. It’s all about power and
control,” Boscola said. “These
people not only created a huge
blaze, but it’s suddenly the object
of massive attention. Sometimes
they’ll set the fire and then be one
of the first on the scene to save
the day, so to speak. They get
attention that way.”
Firefighters
being arrested for arson occurs far
too often, she said. But, to allow
someone who’s been arrested for
starting fires to respond to the
scene of a blaze is just asking for
trouble.
“It’s a matter of
common sense,” Boscola said. “You
wouldn’t want someone convicted of
robbing a bank working as a bank
teller, would you? And you wouldn’t
let a child molester work in a day
care center, either.”
Boscola’s bill amends
the state Crimes Code to prohibit a
convicted arsonist from serving as a
member of a fire department and from
being certified as a firefighter.
“There have been
cases where a single volunteer
firefighter set 26 different fires
and caused a total of $2 million in
damage before he was finally
apprehended,” Boscola said. “I
really believe this law is long
overdue. It will protect innocent
people, as well as members of fire
departments who respond when these
fire-starters set another fire
somewhere else.”
The Senate
unanimously concurred in House
amendments to the bill, Senate Bill
583.
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