HARRISBURG – Auditor General Timothy DeFoor today announced the release of audit reports for 55 volunteer firefighters’ relief associations (VFRAs) in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Blair, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Columbia, Crawford, Dauphin, Erie, Fayette, Indiana, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Monroe, Northampton, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Somerset, Susquehanna, Venango, Warren, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York counties.

“Relief associations provide vital support to Pennsylvania’s dedicated first responders,” Auditor General DeFoor said. “Our audits make sure state aid is used to equip and protect volunteer firefighters and the communities they serve.”

The Department of the Auditor General distributes state aid for VFRAs and audits how they use the funds, which are generated by a 2% tax on fire insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania by out-of-state companies. In 2024, $68.26 million went to 2,501 municipalities for distribution to VFRAs to provide training, purchase equipment and insurance, and pay for death benefits for volunteer firefighters.

VFRAs may have future state aid withheld if they do not comply with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures. Relief associations are separate legal entities from the fire departments they support.

The department is required by law to audit volunteer fire relief associations and municipal pension plans that receive state aid through the department; liquid fuels tax usage by municipalities; various county offices and numerous other state government entities.

Review the latest audit report for the listed VFRAs and learn more about the Department of the Auditor General online at www.PaAuditor.gov.  Our updated VFRA guidelines are posted on our website at the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General -VRFA Resources (paauditor.gov).

Audit reports are available online using the links provided below, or at www.PaAuditor.gov/audit-reports.

Allegheny County

Chalfant Volunteer Firefighter’s Relief Association – No findings.

Citizens Hose Company No. 1 Relief Association – No findings.

Gallatin-Sunnyside Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association – No findings.

Hilltop Hose Company #3 Firemen’s Relief Association of Harrison Township – No findings.

North Braddock Volunteer Firefighters Relief Association – No findings.

Armstrong County

Kittanning Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – 1 finding: Untimely receipt and deposit of state aid.

Beaver County

Freedom Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association – No findings.

Pulaski Township Volunteer Firemens Relief Association – 1 finding: Untimely deposit of state aid.

Berks County

Ruscombmanor Volunteer Fire Company #1 Firemen’s Relief Association – 5 findings:

• Undocumented expenditures;
• Inadequate signatory for the disbursement of funds;
• Inadequate financial record-keeping system;
• Inadequate minutes of meetings and relief association bylaws;
• Failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.

Blair County

Phoenix Firemen’s Relief Association – 2 findings: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation –failure to maintain a Pennsylvania sales tax exemption number; and unauthorized expenditures.

Pinecroft Antis Township Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – 3 findings: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – inadequate minutes of meetings; noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster; and noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster.

Cambria County

Dale Borough Fire Company Relief Association – No findings.

Loretto Community Fireman’s Relief Association of Loretto, PA – 3 findings: Failure to deposit proceeds from the sale of a jointly purchased vehicle; unauthorized expenditures; and erroneous deposits of funds.

Riverside Volunteer Fireman’s Relief Association of Stonycreek Township – No findings.

Clarion County

Hawthorn Area Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – No findings.

Perry Township Volunteer Fireman’s Relief Association – 1 finding: Undocumented expenditures.

Clearfield County

Houtzdale Firemen’s Relief Association – 1 finding: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation: Inadequate relief association bylaws and failure to adhere to relief association bylaws.

Columbia County

Hemlock Township Fireman’s Relief Association – No findings.

Crawford County

Blooming Valley Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department Relief Association – 1 finding: Relief association checking account inappropriately registered under affiliated fire service organization’s federal tax identification number.

North Shenango Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – 1 finding: Insufficient surety (fidelity) bond coverage.

Dauphin County

Halifax Fire Department Relief Association – 3 findings: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster; untimely receipt and failure to deposit state aid; and failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster.

Erie County

Kearsarge Fire Department Relief Association – No findings.

Fayette County

Dunbar Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – No findings.

Indiana County

Indiana Firemen’s Relief Association – 1 finding: Failure to define discretionary benefits.

Lackawanna County

Jermyn Borough Fireman’s Relief Association – 2 findings: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster; and noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – failure to maintain a complete and accurate membership roster.

Old Forge Firemen’s Relief Association – 2 findings: Failure to maintain a debit card policy; and failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.

Luzerne County

Fearnots Volunteer Fire Company Relief Association – No findings.

Hughestown Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Association – No findings.

Lycoming County

Independent Hose Co. Relief Association – No findings.

McKean County

Derrick City Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association – No findings.

Mercer County

Jamestown Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – 1 finding: Insufficient surety (fidelity) bond coverage.

Pine Township, Mercer County, Volunteer Fireman’s Relief Association – No findings.

Sheakleyville Community Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association – 2 findings: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – undocumented expenditures; and failure to maintain a complete and accurate equipment roster.

Monroe County

Phoenix Fireman’s Relief Association – No findings.

Pocono Summit Volunteer Firefighters Relief Association – 1 finding: Insufficient surety (fidelity) bond coverage.

Pocono Township Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association of Tannersville, Pennsylvania – No findings.

Northampton County

Lehigh Township Volunteer Fireman’s Relief Association

Portland Hook & Ladder Co. #1 Fireman’s Relief Association – 2 findings: Failure to secure ownership interest in jointly purchased equipment; and inadequate minutes of meetings and relief association bylaws.

Northumberland County

The Northumberland Firemen’s Relief Association – 1 finding: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation: Failure to maintain surety (fidelity) bond coverage.

Schuylkill County

Community Fire Company New Ringgold Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Association – No findings.

Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association of the Borough of Frackville, Pennsylvania – No findings.

Somerset County

Confluence Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – No findings.

Meyersdale Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association – 1 finding: Untimely receipt and deposit of state aid.

Scalp Level and Paint Borough Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – 1 finding: Untimely receipt and deposit of state aid.

Susquehanna County

Rush Volunteer Fure Department Firefighter’s Relief Association – No findings.

Venango County

Rockland Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association – 1 finding: Failure to secure ownership interest in purchased equipment.

Warren County

Scandia Volunteer Firemen’s Relief Association – No findings.

Westmoreland County

Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 Relief Association – No findings.

Murrysville Volunteer Fire Company Relief Association – 1 finding: Insufficient surety (fidelity) bond coverage.

North Hempfield Volunteer Firefighters Relief Association, Inc., Hempfield Township – 5 findings:

• Inappropriate ownership of rescue vehicle;
• Inadequate relief association bylaws;
• Insufficient surety (fidelity) bond coverage;
• Failure to obtain a federal tax identification number;
• Failure to obtain a Pennsylvania sales tax exemption number.

Seward Volunteer Fire Company Relief Association of Seward, PA– 2 findings: Unauthorized expenditures; and failure to obtain a Pennsylvania sales tax exemption number.

Sewickley Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 4 Relief Association – No findings.

Wyoming County

Goodwill Fire Co. Relief Association of Laceyville PA. – 2 findings: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – untimely receipt and deposit of state aid; and inadequate minutes of meetings.

Nicholson Volunteer Firefighters No. 1 Relief Association – 2 findings: Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – untimely receipt and deposit of state aid; and inadequate signatory authority for the disbursement of funds.

York County

Liberty Fire Company Volunteer Firefighter’s Relief Association – 5 findings:

• Lack of cooperation from the last known relief association officials severely limited the scope of the audit;
• Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – undocumented expenditures;
• Noncompliance with prior audit recommendation – failure to monitor investment activity;
• Inadequate signatory for the disbursement of funds;
• Failure to maintain surety (fidelity) bond coverage.

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Media Contact: April Hutcheson, Dept. of the Auditor General, 717-787-1381 or news@paauditor.gov