2016 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
Title 35 - HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 74 - Volunteer Firefighters
Section 7435 - Powers

§ 7435. Powers.

(a) Specific powers.--When confirmed and sworn and displaying a badge of authority, special fire police shall have full power to regulate traffic and keep crowds under control at or in the vicinity of any fire on which their companies are in attendance and to exercise other police powers necessary to facilitate and prevent interference with the work of firemen in extinguishing fires. They shall also have the police powers necessary to perform their duties when functioning as special fire police at any function, event or parade conducted by and under the auspices of a volunteer fire company, or another event, function or parade conducted by an organization other than a volunteer fire company, provided that the request to perform these duties is made by the governing body of the city, borough, town, township or home rule municipality in which the event will be conducted, or when accidents, floods or any other emergencies require performance of traffic-control and crowd- control duties. The duties may be performed without prior request from the governing body until the arrival of proper State, city, borough, town, township or home rule municipality police authority and thereafter subject to direction of the police authority until the emergency no longer exists. A person functioning as special fire police and performing a duty under any of the conditions in this subsection shall be deemed to be performing the duties of his employment.

(b) Identification.--Fire police performing the duties under this subchapter shall be identifiable by, at minimum, the wearing of a distinctive arm band, hat, uniform or insignia.

(c) Construction.--Under no circumstances shall this subchapter be construed to grant special fire police the right to use firearms or other weapons in the exercise of special fire police powers granted by this subchapter.