Are Volunteer Fire Companies and their records subject to the Right-to-Know Law?
Yes. The records documenting the governmental activity of fire protection are public either through a contract with the municipality or political subdivision (PSD), or because the fire department is deemed a local agency due to its performance of a governmental function. Local agencies are defined under the law to include “similar governmental entities.” Due to their historical status as governmental entities, appellate case law has concluded that a volunteer fire company qualifies as a “local agency” or “local authority” in certain contexts based upon its governmental function and creation or incorporation to perform that function, pursuant to statute or otherwise. Fire companies that are created pursuant to a statute, particularly when incorporated by a PSD, qualify as local authorities as that term has been defined under the Statutory Construction Act. Fire companies that are incorporated by volunteer fire-men as non-profit corporations have been deemed sufficiently similar to gover
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