Pink and blue: St. Charles firefighters work to raise awareness

For several years, the city of St. Charles firefighters have been wearing pink duty shirts during the month of October for breast cancer awareness. Firefighters are now wearing blue duty shirts during the month of November to spread awareness of prostate cancer.

The city of St. Charles Fire Department has expanded it program to a unique and exciting level. Two sets of ladder signs were manufactured and purchased through donations and will be mounted on the Fire Truck at Station 3 located at 2817 Elm Street. One set is blue for prostate cancer awareness and one set is pink for breast cancer awareness. Each set will be displayed on the truck during their respective month.

In addition to being displayed on the truck, each panel will rotate through different areas in order to allow patients who have been affected by two of the most common types of cancer to sign.

On Nov. 2, one light blue board and one pink board were placed on the city of St. Charles Fire Department Station 3 ladder truck.  This set will be displayed through Nov. 30 in effort to continue the promotion of enhanced Cancer Awareness Program.  Concurrently the other pair will be available at city of St. Charles Fire Station 3, 2817 Elm Street, for residents to sign.

Beginning Dec. 10, one pair of ladder sign boards will be rotated between the SSM Cancer Center Kisker Road Facility and the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes Jewish St. Peters Hospital.  Residents interested in signing the ladder sign boards should speak with staff at these facilities regarding our program and the scheduled display times.  As a reminder the set at Fire Station 3 will be available year round for residents to sign.  Residents interested in signing may stop by between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.

The goal is to obtain signatures from every resident that is a current patient, survivor or family member that has lost a loved one to these diseases.