Fire Police 8
Fire Police 8 : Pennsylvania: Fire police in Pennsylvania are volunteer Fire Company members and are sworn in by the mayor, Borough Council President, township supervisor, or the local District Justice of the Peace. While they are usually under the direct control of the local police, they are under thePennsylvania State Police if no local department is available. The first fire police officers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were appointed in Meadville, Crawford County in 1896 and until the passage of title 35 in 1941, had no greater authority than that which could be provided by their respective fire company and municipality. However, the passage of the aforementioned bill granted Pennsylvania's Special Fire Police Officers the police power to provide protection. In addition, Fire Police were legally created to assist their fire department during emergency situations. Moreover, Title 35 was amended in 1949, 1959, and again in 1980 (Act 74, 388, 209, 122) to broaden the scope of authority of the Fire Police. In 1949, the law was amended (Act 388) to give Fire Police the power to act without fire company involvement if requested to do so by their municipality. In 1959, (Act 209) the law was again amended to allow Fire Police to use their police powers in any non-emergency public function conducted by or under the auspices of any volunteer fire company and the requirement of the request of the municipality was later removed from the law. Furthermore, the provision that allows Fire Police to use their police power in non-emergency events was later amended to authorize these officers to provide police services for organizations other than volunteer fire companies if requested to do so by their respective municipality
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