Naval Support Activity South Potomac (NSASP) firefighters sported pink shirts during the month of October to raise awareness about fighting cancer. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and like many other cancer-awareness advocates, the firefighters wore pink to not only show their support for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, but because many in the firefighting family have been personally affected by cancer.
"The reason I wanted to do it is that this issue hits home for me," said Dahlgren Firefighter Randy Feltner, who initiated the pink t-shirt campaign for Naval District Washington (NDW).
"My mother-in-law has breast cancer right now - we just found out the other day. My wife [Katie] has a tumor in her breast. We don't know it its cancer yet and we're getting a biopsy done next week. Her grandmother passed away from breast cancer."
Feltner listened to his better half's experiences supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure while part of a philanthropic sorority during college, and decided to take action.
"Firefighter Travis Roberson and I brought the idea up," said Feltner. "We had done a 9/11 shirt, but mostly, we really can't deviate from our set uniforms. We went to Chief [Michael Murray] and he shot it up the line to NDW."
"When Firefighter Feltner approached me with the idea, I was 100 percent for it for personal reasons," said NSF Dahlgren Fire Chief Michael Murray. "Not for myself, but for my wife, who was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. We caught it early and with remediation, it's clear now. Her mother passed away from the same thing. I had a brother pass away from cancer at age 20.
"[Cancer] is becoming more of an everyday occurrence and [wearing pink t-shirts]was a good way to raise awareness for it, because so many people in this [fire station] here have first-hand knowledge of somebody in their family who has come down with it," adds Murray.
Word of the idea spread "like fire" around the region, said Murray, and NDW firefighters were authorized to wear the shirts on duty for 30 days.
The prospect of getting a bunch of mostly male first responders to sport pink concerned Felter, but firefighters across the region wore the t-shirts with pride.
"We were worried that some guys would be too manly to wear pink," he laughed. "I told them I wear pink all the time just because I think I look good in it."
Feltner leaned on Roberson and other firefighters to not only help get the word out, but to help him manage his work responsibilities during a stressful family time.
"I probably used more leave in the last two weeks than I have in eight years of being here," said Feltner. "But the guys have been very supportive. We really are one big family."
That last point was reiterated by Murray. "You know, we're a family here. Just like our families outside work, we have a family here. We always help each other out wherever we can."
The firefighters' fraternal spirit has led to an informal support network at the fire station. By coincidence, Katie Feltner's doctor is the same physician who helped Murray's wife fight her way back to health. The Murray family extended an open offer for advice and moral support to the Feltners.
Feltner thanked all who have supported the cause and had special praise for Roberson, who helped lead the effort. "He worked just as hard, if not harder than I did," said Feltner.
Both men have been active organizing other health awareness events, in large part out of concern for the firefighting profession itself. Feltner said he hoped that by supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, firefighters might gain awareness about other critical health issues.
"As far as firemen, the number one killer of us is not getting burned up or dying on the side of the road; it's things like heart attacks," he said. "It can be a sedentary lifestyle-you sit here and wait and wait for a call. While you're doing it you're sitting around eating. When you get up and go, you're going full blast."
Feltner, who recently promoted to the rank of captain, will continue to pursue healthy causes. "I don't even want to think about it," he laughed, speculating about what promotion rituals his fellow firefighters have in store for him. Like all the firefighters who spent October pretty in pink, Feltner is always ready for a laugh, but just as ready to get serious about his profession's mission to save lives.
"Nobody wants to lose their mom, their wife, their daughter, or anybody to cancer," said Feltner. "If we can wear a shirt and ping a thought into someone's head to get checked out, we're doing our job.
Saving a life is saving a life, whether we go do CPR on somebody or just by doing something small like wearing a t-shirt to support a good cause."