SLIPPERY ROCK — Some of Gov. Tom Wolf's cabinet answered questions in a panel setting Monday at Slippery Rock University.

Secretary Dennis Davin of the Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), Secretary Jessica Altman of the Insurance Commission, Secretary Cindy Dunn of the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR), Director Richard Flinn of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and Secretary Russell Redding of the Department of Agriculture attended.

Butler County Commissioner Kevin Boozel was the sole Butler County representative to pose a question.

Boozel asked Flinn about what can or is being done to revamp local fire departments.

Boozel said the county has been losing emergency responders, and recruiting efforts have not been sufficient to replenish those who have left.

“We're finding that this has become a greater and greater problem,” Boozel said. “I think a 45-minute response time for emergency services is ridiculous.”

Flinn said he had once served in the 1970s with the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company, and he understands from a firefighter's perspective how hard it is to keep volunteers.

“It is a critical situation here,” he said. “The recruitment never stops.”

Flinn said many volunteers are there for a short-term basis, but incentives can help keep volunteers longer.

“People change, lives change,” he said. “The incentives have to be there.”

Flinn said Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company has a good idea in offering free room and board to its college volunteers. He said his department will continue to look into the issue.

“We feel your pain,” Flinn said.

Boozel said he likes the room and board idea too, but that can't work everywhere. He said each community is unique in how they need to respond to losing their emergency responders.

Boozel said Winfield Township is struggling. So are others.

“The reality is that's going to be a newer trend,” Boozel said. “In a rural area like this, there's a lot of space between fire departments.”

Boozel said people have to take the issue seriously because 45-minute emergency times could be coming too if services continue to be lost.

“We have to do something better,” Boozel said. “So many people think they're OK, and they're not.”

Other questions were less Butler County specific, but still relevant.

Redding responded to a question about the hardships facing Pennsylvania dairy farms.

Redding said there are about 7,000 dairy farms in the state, but the market is slowing down.

Redding said people are not consuming dairy products like they used to.

“In the last several years (dairy consumption) has shifted,” he said. “The dairy market has been sluggish.”

Redding said the department has been focusing on boosting specialty cheeses and bringing new processors to the state without forgetting about those that are already here.

“We still believe it's an incredibly important opportunity for us,” Redding said. “We're going to keep working at it.”

Other questions were on typical hot button issues, like climate change, fracking and others, but some were unique to new trends.

Altman responded to a question about new self-driving automobiles and where insurance will stand with the new features.

“I think we all have to appreciate what impact that innovation can have on our daily lives,” she said.

Altman said the rates for these vehicle owners would need reevaluated because the fault shifts to someone other than the person in the driver's seat.

“It's gong to be reliant on the mechanics of the machine rather than a person,” she said.

Altman said autonomous features have already been implemented into some cars in stopping and parking, and the market is familiarizing itself with the technology. She said the industry will adapt when the time comes.

“It's a shift we're all looking toward,” Altman said.

Erin Molchany said the governor launched the Cabinet in Your Community program in November.

Molchany said the initiative represents a need that people need to communicate with their government to voice their concerns and to get results.