By Sheldon Spackman

pink ribbon on display

Red Deer firefighters show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Oct 9, 2019 | 2:40 PM

City firefighters are joining millions of Canadians across the country in showing their support in the fight against breast cancer.

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Red Deer Emergency Services (RDES) has displayed a large pink ribbon on one of their apparatuses to show their support for the cause.

Fire Chief Ken McMullen says this is the second year RDES has teamed up with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1190 to acknowledge the campaign.

“We do two things, we put the pink ribbon on one of our apparatus and then the second thing is, we ask our front line staff to wear a pink shirt as their undershirt under our uniform for the month of October,” he explains.

“The way we’ve designed it is, we allow that apparatus to actually get relocated throughout the city for the month of October. So it’s going to go to each of the fire stations throughout the month and so hopefully you will be able to see it in your community sometime over the month.”

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McMullen says breast cancer is a cause close to the hearts of many firefighters.

“Breast cancer is one of the presumptive cancers for firefighters in Canada and particularly in Alberta,” says McMullen. “And it is one of those cancers that we do have some members within our service that have unfortunately been impacted either personally or with a loved one that has breast cancer. As it is a national campaign, it was really quite easy for us to get on board with that particular campaign.”

McMullen points-out a variety of initiatives throughout the year that Emergency Services gets behind.

“Of course some are Fire Prevention Week activities, others are things like this where we want people to recognize that cancer is a reality in Emergency Services and there is a higher likelihood that some cancers within Emergency Services are just as the result of what we do in our industry,” he exclaims.

“So we just want people to recognize that we are humans too and to please take the time and remember those of us in the community that go and give back to the City of Red Deer, that we’re impacted by things such as breast cancers and other forms of cancer, and do that as part of the national campaign in October.”