Auditor general announces fall workshops
Auditor General Jack Wagner recently announced the fall schedule for free workshops offered to officers and members of volunteer fire departments providing operational guidelines for volunteer firefighters’ relief associations (VFRA). Locally, workshops will be held Oct. 19 at the New Stanton Volunteer Fire Department in Westmoreland County and Nov. 3 at Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department, Washington County, both at 7 p.m.
“These workshops provide volunteer firefighters with the training, information and resources needed to meet the guidelines of this important funding source, ” Wagner said.
Auditor general employees, in instructing the workshops, give emergency service volunteers the opportunity to receive first-hand instruction on administrative procedures and have questions answered about relief association matters.
Copies of the new 2005 edition of the Management Guidelines for Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief Associations manual are distributed at the workshops. The manual also can be found on the auditor general Web site.
Last year, the auditor general’s office distributed more than $58 million to 1,981 volunteer firefighters’ relief associations in the state. The funds primarily are used to provide financial protection to volunteer emergency service personnel against any disability that might occur during participation in the fire service, as well as to purchase fire equipment and to pay expenses to train volunteers.
The auditor general’s office has the responsibility to audit volunteer firefighters’ relief associations to make sure that VFRA funds are properly spent.
For additional information on future training sessions, call the Bureau of Firefighters’ Relief Audits at 717- 787-1308 or e-mail to: fire@auditorgan.state.pa.us.
Wagner also said he will ask the state Legislature to find alternative sources of funding for volunteer firefighters in the state budget. When the state Supreme Court decided on the state slot machine law, it eliminated $25 million a year for volunteer fire and ambulance companies, Wagner said.
“Firefighters are at the forefront of community safety, and it is vital to the residents of Pennsylvania that this funding be restored,” Wagner said.