Auditor General DePasquale Releases Audits for 45 Volunteer Firefighter Relief Associations in 23 Counties
HARRISBURG (Aug. 21, 2014)– Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today announced the release of 45 audit reports for volunteer firefighter relief associations in: Allegheny, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Bucks, Cambria, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fayette, Franklin, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, Northampton, Perry, Potter, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Washington, Westmoreland and York counties.
The Department of the Auditor General examines volunteer firefighter relief associations, which receive state aid from a two-percent state tax on fire insurance premiums purchased by Pennsylvania residents from out-of-state casualty insurance companies.
In 2013, $72 million in state funds was required to be distributed through funding municipalities to nearly 1,950 VFRAs to provide training, purchase equipment and insurance, and pay for death benefits for volunteer firefighters.
The full audit reports for VFRAs with findings are available online using the links provided below, others are available online at: http://www.PaAuditor.gov/audit-reports
Allegheny County
Chalfont VFRA – No findings
Etna VFRA – No findings
Fawn Township No. 1 VFRA – No findings
Upper St. Clair VFRA – No findings
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: insufficient bond coverage.
Beaver County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Bedford County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: untimely deposit of state aid.
Berks County
Hereford VFRA – No findings
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: unauthorized expenditure.
Bucks County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: insufficient bond coverage and inadequate signatory authority for the disbursement of funds.
Cambria County
Ashville VFRA – No findings
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: insufficient bond coverage.
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster and non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for unauthorized expenditures.
Chester County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for four findings: inadequate minutes of meetings, inadequate financial record-keeping system and non-compliance of prior audit recommendations for undocumented expenditures and failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Cumberland County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: insufficient bond coverage and inappropriate ownership of assets.
Union-Rural VFRA – No findings
Dauphin County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: failure to maintain bond coverage.
Fayette County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: untimely deposit of state aid.
Hiller VFRA – No findings
Hopwood VFRA – No findings
Monarch VFRA – No findings
Franklin County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for three findings: unauthorized expenditure, failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster and failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Lackawanna County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: failure to maintain minutes of meetings and failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Lawrence County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: overpayment of loan obligation.
Luzerne County
Excelsior VFRA – No findings
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: inadequate signatory authority for the disbursement of funds and inappropriate ownership of a rescue vehicle.
Pittston VFRA – No findings
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: insufficient bond coverage.
West Wyoming Hose Co. No 1 VFRA
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: insufficient bond coverage.
West Wyoming Hose Co. No. 2 VFRA
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Lycoming County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for three findings: unauthorized expenditure, undocumented expenditure and duplicate payment.
Old Lycoming Township VFRA – No findings
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: failure to maintain minutes of meetings.
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: insufficient bond coverage.
Northampton County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for three findings: insufficient bond coverage, duplicate payments and failure to adhere to relief association bylaws.
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: insufficient bond coverage and non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for inappropriate ownership of monetary assets.
Perry County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Potter County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: untimely deposit of state aid.
Schuylkill County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one findings: insufficient bond coverage.
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: insufficient bond coverage.
Susquehanna County
Great Bend VFRA – No findings
Washington County
Canton Township VFRA – No findings
Westmoreland County
Norvelt VFRA – No findings
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for insufficient bond coverage.
York County
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for five findings: undocumented expenditures, unauthorized expenditures, inadequate financial record-keeping system, inadequate minutes of meetings and failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
# # #
Media contact: Mike Hoover, 717-787-1381
Return to search results