The state Auditor General's Office recently found an issue during the audit of the Harrisville Volunteer Firemen's Relief Association.

“Our bond wasn't high enough to cover the amount of money we had,” said Steve Bickel, Harrisville fire chief. “We corrected the problem.”

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale released a report Wednesday, noting Harrisville's association had $27,746 in cash assets, but only $25,000 in bond coverage.

Bickel said the association corrected the problem as soon as it realized there was one. He said it was underbonded for about eight of the last 36 months.

DePasquale's report noted that the association otherwise “complied with applicable state laws, contracts, bylaws and administrative procedures as they relate to the receipt of state aid and the expenditure of relief association funds.”

“They corrected it — we're pleased they took action,” said Gary Miller, a spokesman for the auditor general, of the Harrisville Volunteer Firemen's Relief Association.

Had the association not corrected the situation, it could have affected disbursements from the state aid fund, the auditor general's office said.

State aid for relief associations comes from a 2 percent tax on fire insurance policies sold in Pennsylvania by out-of-state companies.

In 2019, 2,518 municipalities received nearly $60 million for distribution to relief associations to provide training, purchase equipment and insurance, and pay for death benefits for volunteer firefighters.

“Volunteer firefighter relief associations support fire and rescue crews as they perform their dedicated, often heroic, duties,” DePasquale said. “We are forever grateful.”