Public Safety, Health, and Human Resources

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.

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