Real Men Wear Pink in Trenton

You may be thinking, "Pink is a girl's color." You think so? Tell that to their faces.

The (TFD) has picked up the pink baton and are running with it throughout the month of October for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Using funds raised throughout the year Chief Bruce Vick had pink TFD polo shirts, complete with pink ribbons, made for each member of the department.

"We take part in all types of charities and this is a big, national charity," Vick said. "NBA (national breast cancer awareness) has always been a big firefighter thing."

Vick said the firefighters are not required to wear them, but most of them participate on their first shift back every three shifts.

"There's been no objections from the guys," Vick said.

Firefighter Randy Washburn said he and a few other firefighters had additional shirts made, using their own funds, so they could participate on every shift.

"I think the general public is in favor of us doing it (wearing pink shirts)," Washburn said when asked how he thought the community felt about the shirts.

A few firefighters joked that they hadn't been seen while on the job by any of the officers and were a little worried about their potential response to the pink uniforms. Police officers have a strict dress code and seeing the TFD wearing pink might insight a few wisecracks here and there, but it's all in good fun.

National encouragement to wear pink came from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) in Washington, D.C.

The slogan for the campaign is for firefighters to go "Passionately Pink for the Cure" and is designed to educate communities about breast cancer and to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the IAFF Charitable Foundation, according to a national release.

Vick said he would be wearing his pink shirt at least twice each week and added he plans to wear pink to the next Trenton City Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 17, to generate even more awareness for breast cancer.