Pirates' Paul Skenes joins Gary Sinise Foundation to serve lunch, give aid to local first responders

Paul Skenes is usually serving up fastballs, not baked beans.

But the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher swapped his rosin bag for an apron and serving spoon on Thursday morning, helping members of the nonprofit Gary Sinise Foundation present a grant and serve lunch to firefighters and paramedics in Monroeville at the municipality’s emergency services training center on Johnston Road.

“The first thing I wanted to be when I was kid was a firefighter,” said Skenes, who was raised in southern California. “When I was growing up and going to (Los Angeles) Angels games, you could see one of those concrete fire training buildings right by the stadium.”

Skenes was joined by representatives from Grainger, Sunbelt Rentals and the foundation to present more than $100,000 in new equipment grants to Pittsburgh-area first responders. In Monroeville, grant funding was used to purchase thermal imaging cameras for firefighters.

“These cameras are an absolute game-changer,” said Monroeville VFD No. 5 firefighter and paramedic Tarin Dawson. “Most fire apparatuses only carry one thermal camera with them, so allowing us to have every interior firefighter wearing one will make us much safer, and it will make us more effective at finding victims quicker.”

The thermal imaging cameras not only will assist firefighters in the field, but their recording capability can aidafter a blaze.

“We’re going to be able to go back and look at what happened on a fire call or whatever type of call we’re on, and sort of do quality assurance on ourselves,” she said. “We can determine if we could have done this better, or done that better.”

The Gary Sinise Foundation was founded by the award-winning actor to support and honor America’s veterans, defenders, first responders and their families.

“Gary (Sinise) has always been someone who wants to do a little more and help others, and he was inspired by people just like the ones in this room,” foundation spokesperson Aimee Grebe told first responders. “And Paul has stepped up and done some of this same type of work.”

Skenes challenged fans and brand partners to help him raise $100,000 for the Sinise Foundation. After passing that goal early on this year, he upped it to $150,000, and has surpassed that as well, according to foundation officials.