In the pink! Santa Paula Fire Fighters will show their support of cancer awareness by wearing pink T-shirts during the month of October.

In the pink! SPFD wears pink T-shirts
to heighten cancer awareness

October 15, 2014
Santa Paula News

Firefighters in a uniform can stand out from the crowd, but during October the public will be seeing a lot of emergency responders of a different color - pink!

The Santa Paula Fire Department along with many firefighters countywide have been authorized to wear pink T-shirts while on duty to help raise cancer awareness during October.

And they do so proudly: 

A recent study by the Firefighter Cancer Support Network showed that firefighters are more than twice as likely to contact cancer during their lifetime as a member of the public.

According to Reserve Firefighter Andy Van Sciver, “Santa Paula Fire Department will once again be supporting the cause,” not only to bring attention to all the lives affected by cancer, but also “To reflect on members of our own department and their family members who are affected by this disease.”

“As firefighters,” said SPFD Chief Rick Araiza, “we see the effects on families fighting cancer. No family is immune to the effects of a loved one battling cancer and it affects our daily lives. The pink T-shirts are a way to show that cancer is another threat firefighters are willing to face head-on.” 

Van Sciver, president of the Santa Paula Fire Fighters Association (SPFFA), said the association, “is pleased to again fund the majority of the costs of the t-shirts for the department to focus awareness on all types of cancer.

“This is another great cause supported by our association from the private donations and sponsorships we receive from our annual golf event,” scheduled October 25 at the Mountain View Golf Course.

Van Sciver said 2014 is the second year Santa Paula Fire personnel have participated in the pink T-shirt awareness campaign.

The cotton shirts, which can be worn under turnouts, “Is another project the Santa Paula Fire Fighters Association is supporting in the community.”

And one that the community enjoys: postings on the SPFD Facebook page range from “Awesome!” to, well, “Awesome,” beneath the posting showing fire personnel lined up posing along an engine.

Van Sciver said he wore his pink T-shirt under turnouts, “While we cut up cars,” during a recent West County extrication exercise hosted by the SPFD.

The SPFFA is also active in the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life, in past years have shaved their heads for St. Baldrick’s cancer fundraiser and recently delivered a Care Bag from the Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation to a local household with a family member battling cancer.

The SPFFA also supports youth sports, the Military Banner program and other causes by sponsoring barbecues - from food shopping and cooking to cleanup - and letting the charity, which must sell the tickets, keep all proceeds.  

“Clearly,” said Van Sciver, “all the money for doing these things is coming from our golf tournament,” the association’s major annual fundraiser.

To learn more about how you can help the fight against cancer, visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org

For more information on the Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation visit www.ribbonsventura.org 

The Santa Paula Fire Department Facebook page can be reached at 

www.facebook.com/santapaulafire?ref=br_tf

The SPFD Facebook page also offers plenty of fire safety tips for the entire family as well as other safety information.





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