--- title: 2.26.26 - House PEMA/OSFC Budget HEaring OVerview description: House Appropriations Committee reviews PEMA and OSFC budget, addressing disaster recovery, mitigation, 9-1-1 modernization, volunteer fire service, EMS funding, and preparation for major 2026 events. image: https://support.thedtfirm.com/hubfs/PEMA%20Logo.jpg --- ![](https://support.thedtfirm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/PEMA%20Logo.jpg?width=200&height=200&name=PEMA%20Logo.jpg) Budget Related PEMA/OSFC # 2.26.26 - House PEMA/OSFC Budget HEaring OVerview ![The DT Firm](https://support.thedtfirm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/website/image/dt-favicon.png?width=48&height=48&name=dt-favicon.png) The DT Firm March 2, 2026 **House Budget Hearing Recap: PEMA & Office of the State Fire Commissioner** The House Appropriations Committee convened a comprehensive budget hearing with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the Office of the State Fire Commissioner (OSFC). The discussion centered on disaster recovery funding delays, hazard mitigation investments, 9-1-1 modernization, volunteer fire recruitment and retention, EMS reimbursement challenges, urban search and rescue (USAR) funding, and preparedness planning for major 2026 national and international events. --- **Opening Testimony: PEMA Overview** PEMA leadership outlined the agency’s four core mission areas: The Director emphasized that roughly **90% of Pennsylvania’s emergency management operations rely on federal funding**, creating significant vulnerability when federal grant approvals are delayed or altered. **Federal Funding Backlog** PEMA reported: To address funding uncertainty, PEMA supports the Governor’s proposal to create a **$100 million federal contingency/reserve fund** to bridge funding gaps caused by federal delays or changes. --- **Mitigation Success and Disaster Recovery** PEMA highlighted strong mitigation performance during recovery from **Tropical Storm Debbie**: **Types of Mitigation Projects Discussed** PEMA raised the possibility of creating a **state hazard mitigation program** to provide more flexible and efficient funding than complex federal programs. --- **Disaster Recovery Assistance Program (DRAP)** The state’s Disaster Recovery Assistance Program (DRAP) has been repeatedly authorized since 2023. Key details: PEMA indicated it would prefer to “lead with” the state program for faster response and then seek federal reimbursement if a federal declaration follows. --- **Training & Municipal Emergency Management Coordination** Legislators raised concerns about newly elected local officials and emergency management coordinators (EMCs) lacking adequate training or current contact information. PEMA responded: A Joint State Government Commission task force created under **Resolution 177 of 2025** is currently reviewing Title 35 and emergency management structure. --- **9-1-1 Funding and Modernization** PEMA’s Executive Deputy provided a detailed 9-1-1 update: **Revenue and Surcharge** Acts referenced: **Revenue Trends** **Modernization Needs** PEMA identified statutory updates needed to transition from legacy “Enhanced 9-1-1” language to **Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1)** terminology and systems, including: --- **Office of the State Fire Commissioner (OSFC)** **Scope and Operations** OSFC serves: **Grants and Loans** The grant application process has been modernized with Keystone ID integration and e-signatures. --- **Volunteer Fire Service Recruitment & Retention** Volunteer recruitment and retention dominated discussion. **Challenges Identified** **OSFC Initiatives** The Commissioner stressed that regionalization and consolidation are tools—but must be community-driven and carefully implemented. OSFC also plans to conduct a research/survey initiative to quantify recruitment barriers statewide. --- **EMS Funding and Reimbursement Crisis** Multiple legislators raised urgent concerns about EMS: OSFC clarified that EMS financial administration is under the Department of Health, but: Members emphasized that fire companies are increasingly filling ambulance service gaps without appropriate reimbursement structures. --- **Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) Funding** Legislators pressed concerns over a proposed **$6 million line item reduction** affecting Western Pennsylvania USAR. PEMA clarified: Members requested continued updates on execution timing. --- **Municipal Capital Grants & Fireworks Tax Revenue** OSFC described: The Commissioner acknowledged these structural constraints and encouraged legislative review. --- **Data Reporting & Software Rollout** OSFC transitioned to new fire incident reporting software due to federal reporting changes. --- **Data Centers & Specialty Hazards** Legislators raised concerns about data center fire risks. OSFC response: --- **Major 2026 Event Preparedness** PEMA described multi-year planning for: Actions include: --- **Federal Funding Vulnerability** PEMA reiterated: --- **Issues Not Resolved** No votes were taken, and several issues remain open: --- **Conclusion** The PEMA and OSFC budget hearing presented a candid discussion of emergency preparedness strengths and operational gaps across the Commonwealth. The agencies demonstrated measurable accomplishments—particularly in mitigation uptake, grant modernization, and recruitment initiatives—but lawmakers repeatedly underscored systemic vulnerabilities: Both PEMA and OSFC committed to continued collaboration with the General Assembly on Title 35 modernization, EMS financing solutions, USAR funding execution, and preparedness planning for major 2026 events. ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.thedtfirm.com%2Fdts-budget-blog%2F2.26.26-house-pema%2Fosfc-budget-hearing-overview](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.thedtfirm.com%2Fdts-budget-blog%2F2.26.26-house-pema%2Fosfc-budget-hearing-overview) ## Keep reading [![](https://support.thedtfirm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/PSP.jpg?width=225&height=225&name=PSP.jpg) PSP Budget Related ### 3.11.26 - House Budget Hearing Pennsylvania State Police ](https://support.thedtfirm.com/dts-budget-blog/3.11.26-house-budget-hearing-pennsylvania-state-police) [![](https://support.thedtfirm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OOB2-1.png?width=847&height=460&name=OOB2-1.png) Budget Related OOB ### 3.12.26 - House Budget Hearing - Governor's Budget Office ](https://support.thedtfirm.com/dts-budget-blog/3.12.26-house-budget-hearing-governors-budget-office) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "The DT Firm", "url" : "https://support.thedtfirm.com/dts-budget-blog/author/the-dt-firm" }, "dateModified" : "2026-03-02T14:44:38.085Z", "datePublished" : "2026-03-02T14:44:32.000Z", "headline" : "2.26.26 - House PEMA/OSFC Budget HEaring OVerview", "image" : [ "https://support.thedtfirm.com/hubfs/PEMA%20Logo.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://support.thedtfirm.com/dts-budget-blog/2.26.26-house-pema/osfc-budget-hearing-overview", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://support.thedtfirm.com/hubfs/website/image/logo-DT-firm.png" }, "name" : "The DT Firm" } } ```