Gov. Rendell Announces Application to Bolster Firefighting Efforts at Ft. Indiantown...

Gov. Rendell Announces Application to Bolster Firefighting Efforts at Ft.
Indiantown Gap

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell
today announced that the commonwealth is applying for $3.2 million in federal
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to renovate the Fort Indiantown
Gap Fire Department located at the headquarters of the Pennsylvania National
Guard.

"The Fort Indiantown Gap Fire Department is not only a valuable asset to the
Pennsylvania National Guard and the commonwealth, it is the only 24-hour fire
department in Lebanon County that responds to calls outside the Lebanon City
limits," Governor Rendell said, "This around-the-clock coverage is an
invaluable public safety resource for the entire county."

The Fort Indiantown Gap Fire Department has 16 full-time employees who are
responsible for protecting more than 17,000 acres of state-owned land in south
central Pennsylvania. The department is the primary responder for nearly 700
buildings and thousands of people who work, train and visit the military
installation.

The proposed overhaul and expansion of the fire station would enable the
department to improve its response capabilities and provide a safer working
environment. The renovation would result in a 7,537 square-foot facility that
would meet the needs of a 24-hour fire department.

The grant specifications call for seven vehicle bays, space dedicated to
firefighting gear and rescue equipment, sleeping quarters, a kitchen, and a
small training room. In an effort to be more environmentally conscious, the
budget includes an energy management control system; renewable sources of
energy for the heating, ventilation and cooling systems; and energy efficient
appliances.

In addition to being the headquarters of the 19,000-member Pennsylvania
National Guard, Fort Indiantown Gap is the headquarters of the Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs, which serves the needs of Pennsylvania's 1.1
million veterans. It is also home of the Eastern Army Aviation Training Site;
35 Pennsylvania National Guard units; Muir Army Airfield, the second-busiest
helicopter base in the United States; the Northeast Counterdrug Training
Center, which provides no-cost drug interdiction training for law enforcement;
the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum; and specialized schools for
National Guard engineers and medical personnel.

The combined training facilities at Fort Indiantown Gap served more than
137,000 soldiers and students in 2008 alone.

Aside from military and law enforcement training, Fort Indiantown Gap is the
site of a Regal Fritillary Butterfly preserve and research habitat, five
historic chapels; and a childcare facility. Individuals and community groups
like the Boy Scouts routinely take advantage of Fort Indiantown Gap's camping,
hunting and fishing grounds; youth development camps; and three lakes.

The grant application was submitted on July 10. The U.S. Fire Administration
will announce awards for this competitive funding by Sept. 30, 2010.

More information about the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act can be found
at www.recovery.pa.gov.

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public
education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing
economic investment to support our communities and businesses.To find out more
about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his newsletter, visit
www.governor.state.pa.us.
CONTACT:
Kevin Cramsey (DMVA)
717-861-8352

Barry Ciccocioppo
717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

Kevin Cramsey (DMVA), +1-717-861-8352, or Barry Ciccocioppo, +1-717-783-1116,
both of the Pennsylvania Office of the Governor