BELFOREST — Karen Brown Dees had heard fire trucks in full alarm go past Loving Care Children’s Center on Baldwin 64 in Belforest many times. But the one she heard Thursday morning seemed unusually loud — and it didn’t go by, it slowed, stopped and pulled in with sirens wailing.

“There must be a fire in the parking lot. One of the cars, maybe,” Dees, the center’s director, said she was thinking as she called out to alert her staff to come up front. But they were already there and no one could contain their smiles and laughter as she headed for the door.

Dees, a breast cancer survivor entering her second year after chemotherapy, had been “Pinked.”

“They timed it perfectly. But it still took me a second and then it hit me, oh, pink fire truck. There was this truck and a fireman in full gear, all pink and other guys in pink shirts — and turned out to be — from Daphne and Belforest and the Orange Beach fire departments,” she said. “One of them was one of our dads David Saraceno with Daphne. It’s really pretty special for them to do this.”

Orange Beach fire fighter Eddie McDonald, who helped bring the Pink Fire Truck and Guardians of the Ribbon programs to Alabama said the mission was one of bringing, “Love, hope and awareness,” to women and about urging them to get regular checkups for all types of cancer.

“We wear pink to symbolize our love and respect and gratitude for all our women and our need for them to get regular check ups. And not only for themselves but for all of us who love and want them to stay around and be healthy as long as they can,” McDonald said. “I lost my mother to cancer eight years ago and that’s when I started to get involved and I’ve been passionate about it ever since. And then one of our fireman’s wives was diagnosed. And in the process of having fundraisers and support for her, we were able to get up the interest to get the chapter here in Orange Beach. Unfortunately we lost her to the cancer and so when we got the truck, we named her ‘Cindy’ in her honor.”

McDonald said Cindy is the only truck of her kind in the state and they spend much of their time on the road and also cover much of Mississippi and Northwest Florida.

“There are 20 trucks across the country right now but we are the only one in the state. We go all over in support of raising awareness and raising money to support cancer-fighting programs for all kinds of cancer, not just breast cancer,” he added. “As we say, our goal is to spread the word that pink heals through love, hope and awareness. So we go around to all of these communities and special events and show all our women that we love and appreciate them and support them anyway we can if they are fighting cancer now or encourage them to do the things they should to stay cancer free.

“And for us, it’s not just doing things for show either. Say, they need their grass cut, or need to get to the doctor or need something picked up at the pharmacy or a ride to the grocery store or financial help—we’re going to take care of it anyway we can. The pink fire truck helps get the attention but it’s also about a real commitment to be there anytime, anywhere. They can count on us.”

Dees’ assistant director, Tiffany Korte, has also been touched by the disease in her family and had learned about the Pink Fire Truck and the Guardians programs earlier. “I had seen the truck around before and thought how cool for Karen and the kids, too,” Korte said. “Because we have been here working when she would have to go get her treatments and then come in the next day like the trooper she is no matter how bad it was. But I had lost one of my aunts and another aunt is battling it now so I know what cancer can do and how important early detection is. And I thought this would be a good way to celebrate her good checkups and her setting a good example, too.”

The trucks are signed by all of the patients and survivors. Cured status is not bestowed to survivors until they reach the five-year mark.

“I hope I’m headed for cured,” said Dees who still takes some medication. The active mother and business owner is also now an advocate for early awareness.

“I had no history in my family, but I always went and got my recommended check ups and luckily it was found early, well, stage one. Early detection saved me. That’s why it’s important to go get screened, get examined, especially when you’re over 40 or 45. Don’t put it off. You never know who it might hit or when. And I’ve been adamant about it and I hope if I can get one person, man or woman to pay attention, I know it can make a big difference. But this is a great program and I appreciate all they do and hope more people support it.”