Sen. Glassman Updates Landmark Volunteer Fire and Rescue Support Legislation

From the office of Sen. Barry Glassman:

Senator Barry Glassman, (R) 35, Harford County, has introduced legislation to modernize a landmark program named after one of his Harford County predecessors, Senator William H. Amoss.

The Senator William H. Amoss Fire, Rescue, and Ambulance 508 Fund provides grants to local jurisdictions for the purchase of volunteer fire and rescue equipment and capital building improvements. Glassman, who has a long history of volunteer fire support in Harford County, was appointed recently to Chair the workgroup which is recommending the updated language.

Senate Bill 254, sponsored by Glassman, is also co-sponsored by 32 senators and is supported by the Maryland State Firemen’s Association, Maryland Chiefs, Maryland Association of Counties, Maryland Municipal League, and Maryland Professional Firefighters.

In addition to a more streamlined set of administrative procedures, the bill also expands the list of permissible uses of Amoss funds. It also clarifies the maintenance of effort formula for counties, to exclude large capital expenditures, and contains a waiver process during lean years. The bill also authorizes counties to withhold Amoss funds from companies who do not comply with the reporting requirements of the Amoss program. The bill also allows the Maryland Treasurer to make a single disbursement of Amoss funds to counties each November as opposed to quarterly.

Maryland currently provides ten million dollars to local fire and rescue services around the State.

Harford County distributes approximately $382,000 to its companies. Senator Glassman said, “It was a rewarding experience for me to modernize the Senator Amoss 508 Fund. He was such a great Harford Countian and supporter of the fire service.”