The Pittsburgh Pirates philanthropic arm, Pirates Charities, has announced the new Volunteer Fire Department Grant Program is now open to area departments for the 2019 season. The program is open to departments in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland and offers regional volunteer fire departments a chance to support their volunteer members as well as their communities.

Grant applications along with a complete list of eligible counties are available now at pirates.com/vfd. This season, Pirates Charities will distribute a total of 10 $1,000 grants to regional volunteer fire departments. The grants may be used for community fire prevention programs, firehouse equipment purchases, volunteer events and more.

In order to be considered for a grant, a representative from the Volunteer Fire Department must complete the online application or submit a completed PDF to Pirates Charities on or before the application due date.

Application Due Date: Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Grant Determination Date: Thursday, August 1, 2019

Over 95% of fire companies/departments in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are all-volunteer. Volunteer firefighters are just that - volunteers. The Pirates recognize these individuals contribute a great deal of personal time and energy responding to calls, pursuing training, raising funds for operations, and maintaining station and equipment at those stations.

For complete information regarding specific qualifications for grants and to apply, visit pirates.com/vfd. Departments must complete an application and submit all the required documents for consideration.