Auditor General DePasquale Releases Audits for 50 Volunteer Firefighter Relief Associations in 33 Counties
HARRISBURG (August 19, 2014)– Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today announced the release of 50 audit reports for volunteer firefighter relief associations: Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Erie, Franklin, Greene, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Pike, Snyder, Somerset, Union, Venango, Washington, Wayne and Westmoreland 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
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: inadequate 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: untimely deposit of state aid.
Berks County
Gibraltar VFRA – No findings
Hamburg VFRA – No findings
Blair County
Bald Eagle VFRA – No findings
Logan Township VFRA – No findings
Martinsburg VFRA – No findings
Bucks County
Cornwells VFRA – No findings
Butler County
Evans City VFRA – No findings
Cambria County
Carrolltown VFRA – No findings
Richland 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 six finding: failure to secure ownership interest in a jointly purchased rescue tool, failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster, inadequate minutes of meetings, failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster and non-compliance with prior audit recommendations for insufficient bond coverage and undocumented expenditure.
Centre County
Pleasant Gap VFRA – No findings
Chester County
Kimberton VFRA – No findings
Clearfield County
Brady Township – No findings
Clinton County
Dunnstown VFRA – No findings
Woolrich VFRA – No findings
Cumberland 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.
Dauphin 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 a complete and accurate membership roster and inadequate relief association bylaws.
Erie 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: undocumented expenditures and non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for failure to maintain complete and accurate equipment roster.
Franklin 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: unauthorized expenditure.
Waynesboro VFRA – No findings
Greene County
Waynesburg VFRA – No findings
Huntingdon 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.
Jefferson 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 adhere to relief association bylaws.
Lackawanna County
Old Forge VFRA ¬–No findings
Lancaster County
Maytown VFRA – No findings
Lawrence County
Wurtemburg-Perry Township VFRA – No findings
Luzerne County
Harveys Lake VFRA – No findings
Edwardsville 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.
Lycoming County
Antes Fort VFRA – No findings
Woodward VFRA – No findings
Montgomery County
Fairmount VFRA – No findings
Jenkinstown VFRA – No findings
Northampton County
Roseto Borough VFRA – No findings
Sandt’s Eddy VFRA – No findings
Perry 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, inadequate signatory for the disbursement of funds and non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for inadequate minutes of meetings.
Pike 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: noncompliance with prior audit recommendations for insufficient bond coverage and inadequate relief association bylaws.
Snyder 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: failure to maintain bond coverage, inadequate relief association bylaws and inadequate minutes of meetings.
Port Trevorton VFRA – No findings
Somerset County
Seven Springs VFRA –No findings
Union 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 bond coverage.
Venango 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 failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster.
Washington County
Bentleyville VFRA – No findings
Wayne County
Greene Dreher VFRA – No findings
Westmoreland County
North Huntingdon 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 bond coverage.
Penn 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: inadequate minutes of meetings.
# # #
Media contact: Mike Hoover, 717-787-1381
Return to search results