Penn Hills VFD: Gun Raffle Much-Needed Fundraiser

The president of a Penn Hills fire department said his volunteer company was raffling off a handgun to raise much-needed money for expensive equipment.

The winner of the $5 raffle by Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Department Station 225 will receive a 9 mm Glock pistol.

Richard Grove, president of the fire company, told Channel 11 News on Thursday that the raffle was just one of many fundraisers the department does.

“We are not being irresponsible. We are not throwing a gun on the street,” he said.

The winner will have to fill out all the necessary paperwork and pass a background check before getting the gun, he said.

”Printed on the ticket is you must have a background check,” Grove said. “It's the same thing as buying the gun in a gun store. You don't get the gun until you have that checked out.”

Although some residents and people who work in the Pittsburgh suburb have expressed concern over the raffle, Penn Hills police Chief Howard Burton said the raffle was legal and he supports the fire company.

With the cost of equipment and trucks skyrocketing, the raffle is just another way to raise money, Grove said.

“We just spent $80,000 for some new breathing apparatus and the money has to come from somewhere,” he said. “So we have to have fundraisers and this is one of them.”

Grove, who has been with the fire company for nearly 50 years, said the volunteer department responds to more than 200 calls annually. He said the fire company sends out more than 3,600 letters to residents asking for donations and only receives about 900 responses.

So his fire company has to rely on fish fries, bingo games and other methods to raise money.

Some people were concerned about a fire department raffling off a handgun in a community where a police officer was gunned down in December.

Penn Hills police Officer Michael Crawshaw was shot outside a house along Johnston Avenue. A memorial to him still stands at the police station.

Previous Stories: March 17, 2010: Penn Hills VFD's Plans To Raffle Handgun Raises Concerns

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