Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Hughestown, is pictured near a volunteer fire department vehicle recently at an event in his district.

A state House member is trying another avenue to get his colleagues to approve an additional $30 million in state funding for volunteer fire companies.

In February, Gov. Josh Shapiro included a new $30 million investment — nearly doubling annual funding for fire departments — in competitive grants as part of his 2026-27 executive budget proposal.

With the fate of that funding uncertain as budget negotiations continue, Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Hughestown, is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation he is drafting that would strip the proposal from the budget and instead make it part of state law.

“Fire companies across Pennsylvania are struggling to keep up with the demands of providing reliable firefighting services,” Haddock said in his co-sponsorship memorandum. “Population and cultural shifts are forcing collaborative efforts across fire companies without infrastructure to support these partnerships. Many face challenges maintaining equipment and facilities, sustaining adequate staffing, and attracting new volunteers. It is time to think boldly about providing substantial grant opportunities to equip fire companies for the modern and evolving world. In line with the Governor’s leadership on this issue, I plan to introduce a proposal to establish the Fire Company Transformational Grant Program administered through the Office of the State Fire Commissioner, which would distribute $30 million annually through a grant program that recognizes the need for larger, longer-term investment in firefighting resources.”

The state’s 2025-26 budget included $37 million for the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Program, which awards 2,510 grants to volunteer and career fire companies, emergency medical services, and rescue squads across the state. The program, administered through the Office of the State Fire Commissioner,provides annual, formula-based funding to eligible organizations, with grants up to $20,000 for fire companies and up to $15,000 for EMS companies.

Shapiro’s program would appropriate an additional $30 million to give competitive grants to provide financial support to both volunteer and career fire departments statewide by funding major equipment purchases, training, facility improvements, debt reduction, and other essential operational expenses.

“The goal of this effort is to strengthen the long-term capacity of fire companies across the Commonwealth,” Haddock wrote. “The program would provide funding to support major fire service needs, including equipment, facilities, personnel support, and collaborative projects between companies. By supporting modernization and operational improvements, the program would help ensure communities continue to receive reliable firefighting services. Providing fire companies with the tools and support necessary to serve their communities is a shared priority across the commonwealth.”