This week, the Carmel Fire Department and the emergency workers at Carmel St. Vincent Hospital will be swapping out their blue duty shirts and scrubs for a cause. The emergency responders will be joining firefighters all across the country by wearing pink and black t-shirts to promote breast cancer awareness and prevention.
This will be the fifth year the fire department and ER workers have worn specially designed t-shirts during October, which is national Breast Cancer Awareness month. Breast cancer remains the second-leading cause of cancer death in women. The American Cancer Society estimates about 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year alone.
Carmel Fire Chief Matt Hoffman says this campaign hits close to home for many firefighters. “Every day firefighters take the risk of exposure to carcinogens and other cancer causing chemicals when responding to fires. Taking time to acknowledge emergency responders who have been affected by any type of cancer helps remind us of the inherent dangers we still face.”
Hoffman adds that firefighters are eager to get behind a cause that has directly affected so many of them either through direct diagnosis, or immediate family members currently fighting with cancer. “This is just one way we can show our support for those who are battling daily with the effects of cancer. We hope it gives us the chance to talk to the public about prevention and awareness when they see us out in our shirts this week.”
For more information on breast cancer and other types of cancer, visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.
