By Adam Pagnucco.
A document distributed widely inside the county’s volunteer fire fighter community shows that the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (MCVFRA) is suffering significant financial problems. Those problems were severe enough to cause the elimination of its executive director position.
MCVFRA is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that represents 19 local volunteer fire departments (LFRDs) in Montgomery County. It is legally distinct from those departments and has separate financial accounts from them. In MoCo, the activities of volunteer fire fighters are integrated with the operations of the county government’s career fire and rescue service through the county’s Division of Volunteer Services. In its IRS Form 990 filing for the year ended 6/30/24, MCVFRA reported $548,724 in revenues, $556,348 in expenses and $113,004 in net assets at the end of the year.
At a November 10 MCVFRA membership meeting, a document distributed to attendees contained a “financial and organizational update.” Among the facts stated by that update were:
1. “On November 5, 2025, the Board eliminated the Executive Director position effective November 7, 2025. This was driven by cost and operational sustainability concerns.”
2. The day after the executive director position was eliminated, the association president resigned. The vice president assumed duties as the acting president.
3. The association gets emergency medical services transportation (EMST) funds from the county government, but their use is restricted to emergency medical services staffing, support, recruitment/retention, and readiness. Instead, this money was used for general spending. The county wants that corrected, asserts that the association owes it $60,000-90,000 and “is withholding disbursement of future funds to MCVFRA (NOT LFRDs) until we clean up.” This issue is discussed in the slide below.
4. The association also receives federal Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants that have “very strict reporting requirements.” The document comments, “Funds that are not claimed or documented correctly can be lost and cannot be recovered later.” However, the association has not been submitting regular reports and so has spent local money without federal reimbursements. That has caused financial issues worth at least tens of thousands, and possibly escalating to hundreds of thousands of dollars. This issue is discussed in the slides below.
5. The above problems caused a deterioration in the association’s cash position from $337,900 on 11/20/24 to $220,000 on 4/30/25. Transfers among accounts “occurred without a Board vote or proper documentation.”
6. A question and answer section asked “Was money stolen or misused?” The answer stated:
There is no evidence of criminal or malintent. What we know is that some expenditures charged to the EMST account do not meet the allowable-use rules for that program. That means those expenses must be reclassified to the correct funding source. We also know that there were significant SAFER funds that were not requested for reimbursement. These are compliance issues, not a question of personal gain or missing funds. We are taking the appropriate steps to correct the record, protect our eligibility going forward, and strengthen controls so this does not happen again.
7. Financial adjustments, particularly the elimination of the executive director position, reduced the association’s monthly burn rate from $47,500 to $28,100. However, the association has a lease on its building running through September 28 with no early out provision and an escalating rent currently amounting to $6,160 per month.
The association’s website states, “MCVFRA announces election of new President and elimination of Executive Director position; reaffirms commitment to volunteer service and transparency” but its statement has a broken link.
MCVFRA’s home page as of 11/29/25.
I asked MCVFRA President Russell Hartung about the association’s plans to stabilize its finances going forward. He told me:
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The Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Rescue Association (MCVFRA) has been working closely with our member departments and county partners to ensure long-term financial stability and to maintain the support our volunteer emergency responders rely on to deliver lifesaving services in every community we serve. When financial concerns surfaced over the summer, the Board moved quickly to strengthen oversight by establishing a finance committee and undertaking a comprehensive review of our operating structure and budget practices. As part of that review, the Board elected to restructure the organization by discontinuing the Executive Director position. We are also working to ensure that all available revenue sources are fully pursued, including completing federal SAFER grant reimbursement submissions and reconciling Emergency Medical Services Transport (EMST) accounts with our County partners to support a forthcoming disbursement.
Across all of this work, the Association is clarifying internal roles, improving financial controls, and aligning expenditures with functions that directly support volunteer fire and rescue services. These efforts reflect a broader commitment to modernizing the organization, restoring financial stability, and ensuring that our volunteers can continue providing high-quality, lifesaving emergency service to Montgomery County residents.
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I am asking the county government about its withholding of EMST funds from MCVFRA and also how it intends to coordinate volunteer fire operations if the association collapses. When I get a response, I will follow up.