Old Truck. New look. A CES fire engine recently underwent an overhaul to promote cancer awareness in the Central Peninsula area. The fire engine, which has been in service since 2013, has been named “Miss Rosey” and sports a fancy new neon pink and black vinyl wrap. The name derives from the firetruck manufacturer Rosenbauer.
“It’s a reserve truck that fills in at different fire stations when the other trucks are out for maintenance or if we need extra fire trucks,” said CES Chief Roy Browning. “We got approached by the Aurora Integrated Oncology Foundation, that they wanted to do a cancer awareness project with a pink fire truck. So, this is the first one on the Kenai Peninsula and we were happy to go ahead and bring our Rosenbauer forward.”
Miss Rosey was officially introduced to the community on Saturday, Sep. 28, during the Thrive Through Cancer Well-Being Fair at Central Peninsula Hospital. Although pink is traditionally associated with breast cancer awareness, this new design is meant to bring awareness to all forms of cancer, as evidenced by the “All Cancers, All People, Screening Saves Lives” scrawled prominently down the side of the new-look fire engine.
The idea for the project originated between Aurora Integrated Oncology Foundation and the Soldotna Firefighters Association. “I just said, you know, this is a great opportunity for us to get awareness out there. It’s kind of like a moving billboard for cancer. Awareness and early prevention,” said Aurora Director of Community Outreach Jess Gutzwiler. “So Chief [Browning], myself, and Fire Marshall Roney worked together with a great local business with Enigma Designs with Noah, and Noah wrapped her up after we got the design approved, and she’s just gorgeous and sparkling out there, ready to go to work.”
The Surviving and Thriving Through Cancer event, held annually, aims to cater to the unique needs of cancer survivors, families, and caregivers as they navigate life beyond the diagnosis. According to the CPH website, the event “has been designed around the American Institute for Lifestyle Medicine’s six pillars of health: Eat plants, keep moving, be present, stay calm, and love people.”
