HARRISBURG, Pa. – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale yesterday announced the release of audit reports for volunteer firefighter relief associations in Armstrong, Beaver, Bradford, Bucks, Cambria, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Crawford, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montgomery, Warren and Westmoreland counties.
The Department of the Auditor General examines volunteer firefighter relief associations, which receive state aid from a 2 percent state tax on fire insurance premiums purchased by Pennsylvania residents from out-of-state casualty insurance companies.
In 2014, $68.25 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.auditorgen.state.pa.us/audit-reports.
Armstrong County
- North Apollo VFRA – No findings
- South Buffalo Township VFRA – No findings
Beaver County
- Aliquippa VFRA
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, inadequate financial record-keeping system and undocumented expenditure.
Bradford County
- Litchfield Township VFRA – No findings
Bucks County
- Hartsville VFRA – No findings
- Middlesex Township VFRA -No findings
- Newtown VFRA
Received and expended state aid and accumulated relief funds in compliance with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures, except for three findings: inadequate signatory authority for disbursement of funds and non-compliance with prior audit recommendations for failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster and inadequate minutes of meetings.
Cambria County
- Riverside VFRA – No findings
Centre County
- Bellefonte VFRA – No findings
Chester County
Longwood 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: undocumented expenditures.
Clarion County
- Farmington Township VFRA – No findings
Crawford County
- West Meade Township No. 2 VFRA – No findings
Greene County
- Rice Landing VFRA – No findings
Indiana County
- Creekside VFRA – No findings
Jefferson County
- McCalmont Township VFRA – No findings
- Pine Creek Township VFRA – No findings
Lebanon County
- Greenpoint VFRA
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 equipment roster.
Luzerne County
- Exeter Borough 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: inadequate minutes of meetings, failure to comply with terms of loan agreement and non-compliance with prior audit recommendations for unauthorized expenditure and failure to define discretionary benefits.
- Jackson Township VFRA – No findings
Lycoming County
- Hepburn Township VFRA – No findings
Mifflin County
- Belleville 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: failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.
Montgomery County
- Lower Providence Township VFRA – No findings
- Norristown VFRA
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 a complete and accurate equipment roster, failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster and non-compliance with prior audit recommendation for unauthorized expenditures.
Warren County
- Lander VFRA – No findings
Westmoreland County
- Claridge VFRA – No findings