Firefighters, Medical Responders Wear Pink Gloves During October

The paramedics and emergency medical technicians at a suburban Detroit fire department will be wearing pink medical gloves all month long to raise awareness of breast cancer and other cancers that affect women.

America turns pink every October for national Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Jim Etzin, emergency medical services coordinator for the city of Farmington Hills, posted on the City of Farmington Hills Facebook page, that emergency medical crews decided to wear the gloves as a show of support for firefighters and their families who have been affected by breast cancer, which kills about 40,000 women a year.

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“These pink gloves will show our patients, their family members and coworkers, and the emergency department nurses and doctors that we’re committed to finding a cure for this dreadful disease,” Etzin said.

About 232,570 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed each year, according to the American Cancer Society, and many of them have no risk factors other than being female and simply getting older.

Etzin pointed out that though October is the month set aside for breast cancer awareness, “this is a disease that never takes a day off.”

“We must all remain vigilant and make the time for physical examinations and necessary tests,” Etzin said. “An hour today can give you 20 more years of life down the road.”

To help reduce the risk, all women should maintain a healthy weight, eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, exercise, and limit alcohol consumption. Additionally, women over 20 should have clinical examinations every three years and those 40 and older should have annual mammograms.

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Firefighter/Paramedics Ronald Perian (left) and Bryan Hewitt try out their pink gloves with Fire Department Technician Erin Karlson. (Photo: City of Farmington Hills Facebook page)

Post by City of Farmington Hills, Michigan - Municipal Government.

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