A state audit of the Russell Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association has found the association didn’t comply with a prior audit’s recommendations.

The audit by Auditor General Tim DeFoor’s audit found the Russell Volunteer Fire Association did not comply with a prior audit recommendation saying the association hadn’t held meetings and had failed to update the relief associations’ bylaws. The relief association’s bylaws require quarterly meetings, though auditors found only three of the required four meetings in 2023. In 2024, meetings were held in June, July, August, September and December, though minutes did not contain the signature of the association’s secretary, which auditors said means records may not reflect the approval of all financial transactions that occurred during the audit period.

Relief association officials said the lack of signature on the minutes is because a new board secretary had been named, said they agreed with the finding as presented at the audit exit conference and said they will take action to comply with the auditor’s recommendations moving forward.

Auditors also found the Russell Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association’s bylaws had outdated language based on Act 118 rather than the Volunteer Firefighters Relief Association Act. Association members haven’t yet updated its bylaws and gave no reason to auditors to explain why the bylaw update didn’t take place. Association members agreed with the auditor’s findings and said they will comply with the recommendations by updating the bylaws at the association’s next meeting.

“We are concerned by the relief association’s failure to correct these previously reported audit findings,” the audit states. “The relief association management should strive to implement the recommendations and corrective actions noted in this audit report.”

The Department of the Auditor General distributes state aid for VFRAs and audits how they use the funds, which come from a 2% tax on fire insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania by out-of-state companies. In 2025, $73 million went to 2,507 municipalities for distribution to VFRAs to provide training, purchase equipment and insurance, and pay for death benefits for volunteer firefighters. Funds are allocated through the department and local municipalities to nearly 2,000 volunteer firefighter relief associations to enable the purchase of training, equipment and insurance, and pay for death benefits for volunteer firefighters.

Volunteer Fire Relief Associations may have future state aid withheld if they do not follow applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws, and administrative procedures – though no money was withheld from Warren County fire departments in 2025. Relief associations are separate legal entities from the fire departments they support.

Russell received $15,688.90 in 2025 in FRA funding and another $8,223.59 in pension funding.