Earlier this year in March of 2024, House Bill 843, sponsored by Representative Dan Miller was sent over to the Senate after being passed unanimously. Contained within this bill is a commissioned study to be performed by the Joint State Government Commission to determine the urban search & rescue capabilities of the Commonwealth.
 
With that in mind, I will soon be introducing a resolution to commission a study from the Joint State Government Commission to begin this study in earnest so that we may fully evaluate the status of our Urban Search & Rescue apparatus. With this we will be able to identify the gaps in our current system and lay the foundations for modernization to aid in our Commonwealth’s safety and security.
 
This is especially important now as the last time Pennsylvania’s Urban Search & Rescue capabilities were evaluated was back in November of 2001 after the devastating events of 9/11. This means that much of our system is still stuck almost 23 years in the past and almost certainly possesses factors that are not compatible with modern technological advances and response capabilities.
 
I invite you to join me in endorsing this resolution so that we may evaluate the needs and capabilities of our Urban Search & Rescue across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to protect our communities in times of disaster.