Volunteer Fire
PA has less than 13% of the number of volunteer firefighters that it had in the 1970s. At the same time, Allegheny County has more fire equipment than New York City! There is a crisis in that there are not enough firefighters to drive the firetrucks, and volunteer fire departments operating under capacity find it difficult to get a full team together when there is a call. From a municipal and regional perspective, CONNECT is looking at what it would take to coordinate the efforts of neighboring departments.
- Recording: CONNECT's Future of Fire Presentation at the ALOM 2021 Educational Conference
- Report: Developing Collaborative Capacity to Enhance Municipal-Level Fire Services in Allegheny County, GSPIA CONNECT Capstone, Fall 2020
- Supporting Report Document: Take Action Toolkit: Public Outreach Tools for Volunteer Fire Service Providers in Allegheny County, GSPIA CONNECT Capstone, Fall 2020
- Report: Addressing the Volunteer Firefighter Crisis, GSPIA CONNECT Capstone, Spring 2019
Opioids
CONNECT works with the Allegheny County Health Department to distribute Narcan, train first responders to adminster it, and encourage EMS leave-behind kits. We partner with many other organizations for our work around LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion). In 2021, CONNECT is working with communities to develop a LEAD pilot in Allegheny County.
Lead Safety
CONNECT members care about lead-free housing, water, lead testing, remediation, and lead-safe demolition. CONNECT staff sit on the policy committee of the Lead Safe Allegheny coalition.
Your Municipality Can Get the Lead Out - Mail Brochure
Lead in Allegheny County
Get the Lead Out, Pittsburgh
Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative
Pitt Institute of Politics: Lead-Safe Demolition Working Group Report
Tri-COG Land Bank & Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh: Lead-Safer Demolition
Childhood Lead Testing and Poisoning Report: Pennsylvania Birth Cohort Analysis
National Center for Healthy Housing Model Policies
Next Working Group Meeting