Macer plan to assist local public safety agencies endorsed by House

STATEHOUSE – Indiana House members today approved a proposal from State Rep. Karlee Macer (D-Indianapolis) that would make it easier for local public service agencies to acquire the everyday equipment needed to protect their communities.

By a 91-0 margin, representatives agreed with Macer’s plan to create a Public Safety Equipment Revolving Fund that provides grants and low-interest loans to firefighting, law enforcement, emergency medical services and other agencies. The proposal was included in House Bill 1266.

“Public safety agencies across Indiana constantly face a critical need to secure the equipment that will enable them to perform their duties to the best of their abilities,” Macer said.

“Quite often we hear about the problems these departments face in trying to purchase and maintain large pieces of equipment like fire trucks, police cars and ambulances,” she continued.

“However, there are smaller items that are just as critical in enabling safety personnel to do their jobs, things like body armor for police, turnout gear and breathing masks for fire departments, and respirators for EMT units.

“My proposal is designed to address those needs first of all,” Macer noted. “By giving local agencies the chance to purchase these items through grants and loans, we can provide a constant source of funding to help them address the most critical needs now and well into the future. It would be my hope that we would also be able to use this fund to give them a chance to purchase the larger, big-ticket items that often exercise a department’s financial resources.”

Macer said the funding for this proposal would be provided through existing programs.

“Our state used to offer these types of assistance, but the program was repealed in 2007,” she said.

“Whenever I have talked to the people who have chosen to dedicate their lives to protect the rest of us, they tell me their greatest concern is a constant need to maintain the equipment they need to do their jobs,” Macer added.

“They do an amazing job by repairing what they have, but years of use do exact a toll and there simply isn’t a consistent means to pay for this. There aren’t enough bake sales and chili suppers in the world to help them keep up.

“I am delighted to see my colleagues agree that we need to do more to help these brave public servants,” she concluded.