Auditor General DePasquale Releases Audits for 50 Volunteer Firefighter Relief Associations in 30 Counties

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 26 -- The Pennsylvania Auditor General issued the following news release:

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today announced the release of 50 audit reports for volunteer firefighter relief associations in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bucks, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Northampton, Northumberland, Somerset, Susquehanna, Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Westmoreland counties.

The Department of 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: www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire.html.

Allegheny County

Munhall VFRA - No findings

Swissvale VFRA - No findings

Armstrong County

East Franklin Township VFRA - No findings

Beaver County

Hookstown VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir58482HookstownBeaver060914.pdf)

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 recommendation for untimely deposit of state aid and insufficient bond coverage.

Bucks County

Croydon VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir58303CroydenBucks061114.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: noncompliance with prior audit recommendation for failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.

Northampton Township VFRA - No findings

Carbon County

Penn Forest Township VFRA - No findings

Centre County

Howard VFRA Z - No findings

Miles Township VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir58313MilesTwpCentre060914.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for four findings: noncompliance with prior audit recommendation for undocumented expenditures, failure to segregate relief association officers' duties, insufficient bond coverage and failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.

Chester County

Po-Mar-Lin VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir58714PoMarLinChester061014.pdf)

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.

Pomeroy VFRA - No findings

Clarion County

Hawthorn Area VFRA - No findings

Clearfield County

Bigler Township VFRA - No findings

Chester Hill VFRA - No findings

Houtzdale VFRA - No findings

Clinton County

Haneyville VFRA - No findings

Cumberland County

Lisburn VFRA - No findings

Newville VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir53541NewvilleCumberland061014.pdf)

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 and redeposit of state aid.

Dauphin County

Gratz Area VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir55668GratzDauphin061114.pdf)

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 equipment roster and noncompliance with prior audit recommendation for inadequate relief association bylaws.

Delaware County

Broomall VFRA - No findings

Morton VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir53503MortonDelaware061114.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for four findings: failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster, inappropriate ownership of vehicles and noncompliance with prior audit recommendations for inadequate relief association bylaws and failure to maintain minutes of meetings.

Erie County

Kearsarge VFRA - No findings

Fayette County

Markelysburg-Henry Clay Township VFRA - No findings

Franklin County

Chambersburg VFRA - No finding

Fannett-Metal VFRA - No findings

Pleasant Hall VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir55656PleasantHallFranklin053014.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: noncompliance with prior audit recommendation for failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.

Huntingdon County

Mapleton VRRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir58649MapeltonHungtingdon061114.pdf)

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 untimely receipt and deposit of state aid.

Warriors Mark-Franklin VFRA - No findings

Lancaster County

Brickerville VFRA - No findings

Manheim VFRA - No findings

Mountville VFRA - No findings

Witmer VFRA - No findings

Luzerne County

Forty Fort VFRA - No findings

Lycoming County

Brown Township VFRA - No findings

Independent VFRA - No findings

Lairdsville Community VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir57746LairdsvilleLycoming060914.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for four findings: undocumented expenditures, unauthorized expenditures, duplicate payment on equipment purchase and inadequate signatory authority for the disbursement of funds.

McKean County

Corydon Township VFRA - No findings

Northampton County

Safety First VFRA - No findings

South Bethlehem VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir63062SouthBethlehemNorthampton060314.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: noncompliance with prior audit recommendation for insufficient bond coverage.

Wind Gap VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir58456WindGapNorthampton061214.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for five findings: unauthorized expenditures, insufficient bond coverage, inappropriate ownership of assets, inadequate minutes of meetings and noncompliance with prior audit recommendation for failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.

Northumberland County

Potts Grove VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir58487PottsGroveNorthumberland061014.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for one finding: noncompliance with prior audit recommendation for insufficient bond coverage.

Somerset County

Windber VFRA - No findings

Susquehanna County

Montrose VFRA - No findings

Union County

Mifflinburg VFRA

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for four findings: insufficient bond coverage, failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster and noncompliance with prior audit recommendations for undocumented expenditure and untimely receipt and deposit of state aid.

Warren County

Youngsville VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir63509YoungsvilleWarren060214.pdf)

Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for two findings: unauthorized expenditures and failure to define discretionary benefits.

Washington County

Cecil Township No. 1 VFRA - No findings

Wayne County

Waymart VFRA - No findings

Westmoreland County

Greensburg VFRA - No findings

Lower Burrell No. 3 VFRA - No findings

Paintertown VFRA (http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/Reports/Fire/fir58090PaintertownWestmoreland061014.pdf)

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.

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