Birmingham VA Goes Pink with Engine 411 for Breast Cancer Awareness
By Birmingham VA Health Care System, Public Affairs Office
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service rolled out of the firehouse to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, wearing a different shade than its usual red—PINK.
They call her Engine 411, and she does more than put out fires. She’s on a mission to raise awareness and help extinguish breast cancer.
The special-event engine, Engine 411, which is painted pink by the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service for the purpose of raising awareness about breast cancer, paid a special visit to the Breast Cancer Awareness Fair held at the Birmingham VA Health Care System, where Veterans, employees and community partners assembled for a large group photograph in front of the eye-catching pink engine.
The image conveyed more than just a single moment; it showed the common commitment on the part of the VA and our community partners to increase awareness, promote early detection, and provide support for those whose lives have been affected by breast cancer.
At the Birmingham VA Health Care System caring for Veterans involves looking after the whole person, and events such as the Breast Cancer Awareness Fair give the opportunity to provide education, connect Veterans with health resources, support the employees and their families, and serve to remind all concerned that prevention and early detection are important.
Inside the fair, Veterans and employees had an opportunity to visit information tables highlighting breast cancer awareness and prevention, flu vaccinations, VA eligibility and enrollment, Whole Health, Mental Health and Women’s Health. The event brought these resources together in one location, making it easy for Veterans to ask questions, learn more about available VA services and connect directly with the teams dedicated to supporting their health and well-being.
The Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service is nothing new to being called out. It has about 720 firefighters and staff based at 32 stations and attends around 75,000 incidents each year. The department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, technical and heavy rescue, and other specialized services in the city.
Service also involves being there for the community, and Engine 411 was there in pink.
We would like to thank the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service for taking part and helping to draw more attention to a disease which affects Veterans, families, and communities throughout the nation.
In October, pink stands for so much more than a color; it reminds us to stay informed, get screened, support each other, and keep working together to end breast cancer.