New Law Allows First Responders To Solicit Donations Along Roads

First responders looking to raise much-needed funds to support their work in Pennsylvania with donation collections along local roadways are now legally allowed to do so.

Langhorne-based State Rep. Frank Farry, a Republican and area fire chief, proposed legislation earlier this year to allow first responder organizations to solicit donations from occupants of a vehicle on local roadways. Previous to Farry’s Act 57, on-road solicitation was prohibited by state law.

The new law that was signed by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf last week lets first responders to solicit donations on local roads after gaining written permission from the home municipality, limits solicitations to a controlled intersection, and requires the organization to attain the proper insurance liability coverage.

The law only pertains to first responders raising funds and not other organizations or individuals soliciting donations on the side of the road, Farry said. In the past, local police have given Penn State students raising funds to battle childhood cancer and local firefighters a pass when enforcing the law. However, state police near Bloomsburg did cite firefighters collecting funds along a road earlier this year.

“Safety is everyone’s top priority,” Farry said. “Most first responders are trained to operate in traffic during roadway incidents, so they can participate in this type of fundraising without putting drivers or themselves at risk,” Farry said.

“This new will law help firefighters fundraise legally and also helps ensure firefighters do it in manner that does not put the public or firefighters at risk,” added Donald Konkle, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute.

Volunteer fire companies often use “boot drives” to collect funds to help pay for their annual costs. The collection drives are necssesary in a time when a new ladder truck can cost close to $1 million.

“Our fire and EMS community rely heavily on donations from the public to stay afloat and this additional fundraising opportunity will help them raise the money they need to continue serving our communities,” Farry said.

The new law will go into effect within the next 60 days.