35 Pa. C.S. § 7202

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-127
Section 7202 - Definitions

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Commission." The Joint State Government Commission.

"Disaster medical assistance team." A complement of individuals organized in accordance with standards developed by the agency and applicable Federal agencies to provide medical service at the scene of disasters and mass casualty incidents.

"Disaster mortuary response team." A complement of individuals organized in accordance with standards developed by the agency and applicable Federal agencies to provide mortuary service at the scene of disasters and mass casualty incidents.

"FEMA." The Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"Letter of agreement." A written agreement between a regional counterterrorism task force and a public, semipublic, private or nonprofit corporation, business, association, partnership, authority, individual or other entity that provides for:

(1) Personnel, equipment, supplies, training facilities or other resources either directly to or in support of the task force's specialized regional counterterrorism response team.
(2) Workers' compensation and death benefits.
(3) Member participation in training exercises, drills and actual activation and deployment.

"Municipal" or "municipality." A city, borough, incorporated town, township or home rule municipality of this Commonwealth.

"Mutual aid." A county's, municipality's or volunteer service organization's affirmative act of sending its personnel, equipment or resources to the scene of an actual or potential disaster, whether inside or outside the boundaries of this Commonwealth, in response to an official dispatch request from a county 911 communications center, county emergency management agency or the State emergency operations center.

"Mutual aid agreement." A written agreement between a regional counterterrorism task force and a county, municipality or volunteer service organization that provides for:

(1) The county, municipality or volunteer service organization to provide personnel, equipment or other resources in response to an actual or potential disaster.
(2) Workers' compensation and death benefits.
(3) Member participation in training exercises, drills and actual activation and deployment.

"NIMS." The National Incident Management System.

"PEMA." The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

"Regional counterterrorism task force." A complement of Federal, State, county and municipal emergency management, health, law enforcement, public safety and other officials and representatives from volunteer service organizations, private business and industry, hospitals and medical care facilities and other entities within a multicounty area as determined by the agency that is responsible for conducting counterterrorism planning, training preparedness and response activities.

"Specialized regional counterterrorism response team." As follows:

(1) A complement of individuals established by a regional counterterrorism task force and organized in accordance with standards developed by the agency in accordance with applicable Federal or State guidelines to respond to emergencies involving an actual or potential disaster.
(2) The term includes a disaster medical assistance team and disaster mortuary response team.

"Specialized statewide response team." As follows:

(1) A complement of individuals organized by the Commonwealth to provide specialized personnel, equipment and other support capabilities in response to an actual or potential disaster in this Commonwealth.
(2) The term includes a disaster medical assistance team and disaster mortuary response team.

"Sponsoring agency." A municipality, county or volunteer service organization that has an agreement with the agency to be the sponsor of an urban search and rescue response team or specialized regional counterterrorism response team.

"Urban search and rescue response team." A multidisciplined complement of individuals organized by the agency in accordance with standards developed by the agency and FEMA, consistent with NIMS guidelines, to provide emergency response and search and rescue capabilities and resources at the scene of a disaster.

"Volunteer service organization." A volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance or medical company, volunteer rescue squad or any other volunteer entity organized and chartered or incorporated in this Commonwealth or chartered by the Congress of the United States for the primary purpose of providing emergency services as defined in section 7102 (relating to definitions).

35 Pa.C.S. § 7202

Added by P.L. (number not assigned at time of publication) 2024 No. 113,§ 1, eff. 12/28/2024.