Firefighting in Cumberland County is still essentially a volunteer service, but the community’s expressions of gratitude just got a bit more tangible for some of those who are answering the call.
The county has just become the first in the state to offer annual credits of up to $250 on county real estate tax bills for active firefighters and EMS volunteers who are county residents, home owners and members in good standing of a county-based company. The ordinance setting up the program was passed by county commissioners last week and will apply as a refund to this year’s tax bills.
The intent of the program is two-fold: First, it is a chance to “acknowledge the value and dedication” of the people who make the emergency services happen now; and going forward, commissioners are hopeful that the tax credits will be another tool to retain first responders and attract new people to the field.
Commissioner Gary Eichelberger acknowledged in a public roll-out of the program at Good Hope Fire Station in Hampden Township Tuesday that the new credit is not a panacea to the long-term issue of declining ranks at the fire stations. But it is, he believes, one of a number of steps that elected officials and their communities can take to help.
“This is one small step. But we need a lot of small steps to really address this downward trend,” Eichelberger said.
The credits for emergency volunteers were initially passed by the legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf in 2016 - covering municipal property and earned income taxes - and were expanded last year to include county and school district property tax bills. Eight of Cumberland’s 33 municipalities are already offering credits on local taxes for volunteers including Hampden, Lower Allen, Upper Allen, Silver Spring, and South Middleton townships and Carlisle, Lemoyne, and Wormleysburg boroughs.
It’s that multiplier effect, said Robert Shively, director of the county’s public safety department, that really makes an impact for volunteers and their families.
“Some of the municipalities are doing both a real estate incentive as well as an earned income tax incentive, so now you’re going $250, (plus) $250, (plus) $250...You know, $750 is certainly really attractive, and does make an impact” in volunteer retantion, Shively said.
The county’s program is open to any fire or EMS volunteer who has served for at least six months during a given tax year. Individuals must apply for the credits through the county, and they will be verified against membership rosters provided by each of the qualifying agencies. With proof of a paid tax bill, the county will cut the applicant a check.
The credits are also available to persons who were prevented from meeting the six-month requirement due to injury.
“This is a historic opportunity to recognize the value of our volunteer firefighters and EMTs,” said Jerry Ozog, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fire & Emergency Services Institute, adding that he hopes Cumberland will become the first of many across the state to do so.
While the vast majority of firefighters in Cumberland are volunteers, most ambulance crew members are paid. Even so, Duane Nieves, president of the Cumberland County EMS Council, noted that more than half of the county’s ambulance companies do use some volunteers, and it is those extra hands that help them provide round-the-clock service to their communities.
Applications for the 2022 tax credit for firefighter and EMS volunteers will be available in the coming weeks. Commissioners said they are planning an outreach campaign designed to share the application process at volunteer fire and EMS stations across the county.
For more information, interested readers are invited to visit the county’s Web site.
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