This month, members of the Webster Groves Fire Department have been out giving talks on fire safety and prevention as part of National Fire Prevention Month. They are also promoting breast cancer awareness by wearing pink T-shirts.

"Our job is to keep people safe, and this is just one more way to do that," said Capt. Nick Hercules. "It's definitely not a normal uniform, but if it reminds one woman to do a self exam or get a mammogram, it's all worth it."

Members of the department started wearing the pink T-shirts last October, shortly after firefighter/paramedic Pat Matthew's wife Jenny was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.

"We're all family here," Hercules said. "We just started talking about it and thought wearing the pink shirts was the smallest thing we could do."

In addition to showing their support by donning pink shirts, firefighters also held fundraisers for the family and walked with Jenny in the 2010 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

"The support I got from these guys was just unbelievable," Matthews said. "They even gave up their sick time and worked for me so I could be at all the doctor's appointment and treatments."

Last year, members of the department wore the shirts for two weeks. This year, they are wearing the shirts the entire month. The shirts were designed by Embroider the Occasion in Webster Groves.

"We've got some pretty machismo and prideful guys that work here—former athletes and Marines—and they didn't even bat an eye at wearing the pink shirts," Hercules said.

Matthews said his wife recently went in for a checkup, and so far, so good. "Everything seems to be going in the right direction," he said.

Check back with Webster Groves Patch on Wednesday to see what Embroider the Occasion is doing this month to promote breast cancer awareness.