HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In recognition of National Fire Prevention Month, State Treasurer Rob McCord today said nearly $700,000 in unclaimed property is available for Pennsylvania's emergency responder organizations to claim in order to supplement their budgets and provide needed valuable life-saving services.
Of the nearly $700,000 available, Treasurer McCord said Treasury has initiated claims on more than $306,000, which belongs to over 230 fire companies and emergency responders across the state. The Treasurer encouraged all such organizations to search Treasury's free online database at www.patreasury.gov to see if the remaining $389,000 – or other property – is owed to them.
"We want to bolster the budgets of emergency responder organizations that regularly deal with limited funding and resources, so they have additional help to keep their communities safe," said Treasurer McCord. "The unclaimed property we have in our database doesn't simply belong to individuals. Much of it also belongs to community service organizations, businesses, schools, and other entities.
"We try to reunite property with the proper owners year-round, but we want to mark National Fire Prevention Month with a specific push in recognition of the work firefighters and EMS workers do to keep us safe. Every dollar we can return to fire companies and emergency responders is one more that can go towards saving lives."
The property owed to fire companies, ambulance services, and emergency medical organizations is only a fraction of the $1.9 billion in unclaimed property Treasury is now working to return to people, businesses, nonprofits, local government, and community organizations, among other groups.
Treasurer McCord stressed that people and organizations usually do not know they are owed property because "holders," or entities that hold property owed to others, are not required under state law to contact the owner before remitting it to Treasury. As a result, Treasury each year receives millions of dollars in unclaimed property in the form of abandoned bank accounts, forgotten stocks, uncashed checks, and contents of safe deposit boxes.
The Treasurer encouraged everyone to search Treasury's free unclaimed property database at www.patreasury.gov or call 1-800-222-2046, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A member of Treasury's Return Team will assist with their search and the claim process.
Since January 2009, the McCord Treasury has collected more than $820 million in property, returned more than $377 million to rightful owners, and generated about $442 million for the state's General Fund through the Unclaimed Property Program.
To learn more about Pennsylvania's Unclaimed Property Program or to search for property, visit www.patreasury.gov or call 1-800-222-2046.
Editor's note: The following list includes select fire companies and emergency service providers, by county, with unclaimed property. To learn if others have unclaimed property, please call 717-787-2991 or search the free database at www.patreasury.gov.
| Allegheny |
| Allegheny Emergency Care |
| Allegheny Township Volunteer Fire Association |
| Ross Westview EMS |
| Upper St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department |
| Versailles Volunteer Fire Company |
| Armstrong |
| Parker City Volunteer Fire Department |
| Beaver |
| Aliquippa Emergency Services |
| Beaver County Emergency Services |
| Pulaski Township Volunteer Fire Department |
| Blair |
| Altoona Fire Department |
| Southern Blair Ambulance |
| Bucks |
| Northern Wayne Fire Company |
| Roselle Fire Department |
| Warwick Township Fire Company |
| Butler |
| Callery Volunteer Fire Company |
| Valencia Community Volunteer Fire Department |
| Cambria |
| West Taylor Fire Dept. |
| Carbon |
| Lansford Volunteer Ambulance Corp |
| Tresckow Fire Department |
| Centre |
| Centre Emergency Medical Association |
| Chester |
| Berwyn Fire Co EMS |
| Martins Corner Fire Company |
| Unionville Comm Ambulance |
| Clearfield |
| Brady Township Fire Co |
| Clinton |
| Nittany Valley Firemans Relief Association |
| Columbia |
| Berwick Fire Department |
| Crawford |
| Conneaut Lake Area Ambulance |
| Linesville Area Ambulance |
| Cumberland |
| Camp Hill Fire Company No. 1 |
| Cumberland Valley EMS |
| Mt Holly Springs Fire Police |
| Ringtown Community Ambulance |
| Shenandoah Community Ambulance |
| West Shore EMS |
| Dauphin |
| Caring Hearts EMS |
| Delaware |
| Brookhaven Fire Company |
| Lester Fire Company |
| Moyamensing Jr. Fire Company #1 |
| Upper Darby Township EMS |
| Elk |
| Ridgeway Ambulance |
| Erie |
| Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department |
| Lake Shore Emergency Services |
| North East Fire Dept. |
| Fayette |
| Laurel Ambulance Service |
| Point Marion Firemans Relief Association |
| Smithfield Fairchance Ambulance |
| Franklin |
| Mont Alto Volunteer Fire Company |
| Pleasant Hall Volunteer Fire Department |
| Huntingdon |
| Three Springs Volunteer Fire Company |
| Indiana |
| Saltsburg Volunteer Fire Department |
| Lackawanna |
| Hamlin Fire and Rescue Company Inc. |
| Newton Ransom Volunteer Fire |
| Lancaster |
| Lancaster County Fire Police |
| South Manheim Township Fire Company |
| Willow St. Fire Company |
| Lebanon |
| Lebanon City Fire Prevention Committee |
| Lehigh |
| Barrett Township Volunteer Ambulance |
| Bridgeton City EMS |
| City of Warren Ambulance |
| Macungie Fire Company 1 |
| Salisbury Fire Company |
| Swoyersville Community Ambulance |
| Luzerne |
| Avoca Ambulance Association Inc. |
| Lehman Township Volunteer Ambulance |
| McKean |
| Eldred Fire Department Ambulance |
| Mercer |
| Wheatland Junior Fire Department |
| Monroe |
| Coolbaugh Township Firemens Relief Association |
| Montgomery |
| Collegeville Fire Company |
| Gilbertsville Fire Department |
| Goodwill Fire Company Ambulance Fund |
| Schwenksville Fire Company |
| Northampton |
| Easton Emergency Service |
| Nazareth Volunteer Ambulance Company |
| Northumberland |
| Turbotville Volunteer Fire Company |
| Philadelphia |
| Englewood Emergency Care |
| Holme Avenue Emergency Physicians |
| Wissahickon Community Ambulance |
| Schuylkill |
| Pottsville Area Emergency Medical Services |
| Schuylkill Emergency Physicians |
| Washington Fire Company #1 |
| Somerset |
| Central Harden Fire Department |
| Confluence Volunteer Fire Department |
| Warren |
| Sheffield Ambulance Service |
| Washington |
| Chartiers Volunteer Fire Company |
| Memorial Park Post 764 Ambulance |
| Monongahela Emergency Physicians |
| Wayne |
| Gouldsboro Volunteer Fire Company |
| Waymart Volunteer Ambulance |
| Westmoreland |
| Arnold Fire Department |
| Brookside Fire Co Volunteer |
| Irwin Volunteer Fire Department Ambulance |
| Luxor Volunteer Fire Department |
| Sardis Volunteer Fire Company |
| York |
| Delta Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company |
| Reliance Fire Company |
| West Manchester Township Firefighter |
| White Rose Ambulance |
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