Most fire engines are painted red, a color that can bring to mind the bravery of those who fight to protect their community from danger. Yet applying a slightly different color of paint can serve to remind people of the fight that cancer patients struggle with every day.
The New Ipswich Fire Department has painted an old fire truck pink and donated it to the Guardians of the Ribbon, a nonprofit organization based in Arizona and dedicated to raising money and awareness for women with all types of cancer.

The new layer of paint is not just aesthetic — the vehicle’s makeover also honors a member of the community; a caring, supportive wife whose life was taken by cancer last July.

Her name was Ellen Hicks.

Jim Hicks, who serves as the town’s Emergency Management Director, recalled his wife’s support as he saw the symbolic fire truck for the first time on Saturday.

“She really supported me and my efforts to provide emergency preparedness for the town,” said Hicks. “Even though she wasn’t directly involved, she was right behind me; that’s important to have that kind of support at home when you are doing a job.”

He added that his wife’s concern for others surpassed the concern for herself.

“She was actually sick during the ice storm and was really insistent that I go do what I have to do to support the citizens,” said Hicks.

Meredith Lund, the town’s deputy fire chief, is literally driving to help find the cure for cancer in the Pink Heals Tour. She is currently driving the pink fire truck across the country for two weeks, stopping for cancer awareness and fundraising events along the way.

Lund was the one who first proposed donating the department’s old fire truck to the cause and this is her second year driving for the Guardians of the Ribbon. Last year she drove a pink fire truck along the coast of New Hampshire.

Lund lost her sister to cancer eight years ago and joined the organization last year to make sure women in need are supported.

“I kind of hope it opens people’s eyes in the community to the people around us that need help,” said Lund on the phone Tuesday, “[It can] bring small communities together to rally around people and really support them.”

She said the organization sends pink trucks out for two months every year. On the journey, cancer survivors sign their names on the trucks, as well as write the names of those who lost loved ones to the disease.

Decals on the New Ipswich truck, saying “Cares enough to wear pink” and featuring the words “Awareness,” “Love,” “Rescue” and “Hope” were created based on Guardians of the Ribbon artwork by Temple resident Don Kraemer of N.H. Signman LLC. It took him about four days to complete the decals, only charging for the materials needed. Kraemer said he was happy to help the effort, having had women in his life deal with breast cancer and having been a volunteer firefighter in Temple for 20 years.

New Ipswich’s Fire Chief David Leel is also proud to be a part of the cause.

“Breast cancer is such a terrible disease, and so many people get it every day and anything at all that any of us can do to find the cure is an awesome thing,” said Leel.

Fellow firefighter Hazen Fisk, joined by other volunteers, worked on giving the fire engine its new look. The paint is provided by the Guardians of the Ribbon and Fisk said it took a couple weeks to prepare the fire engine and a day to paint it.

Fisk did it in honor of his grandfather, who died from cancer when he was young, and the women in his life.

“My mother, my daughter, my girlfriend, her daughter, my sister, my niece, that is who it was for,” he said.

Hicks said he is grateful to the people of New Ipswich for their consistent support.

“That’s what its about living here in a small community in New Hampshire, everybody pulls together for everybody in the town,” he said.

The Guardians of the Ribbon tour was started by Dave Graybill, a firefighter from Arizona, because he believes that men should value and protect the women in their lives.

“We are at war against cancer, we believe that cancer is a terrorist. It has invaded our bodies, so we fight against this disease for the most important people in our lives, women!” wrote Graybill on his blog.

On October 25, 26 and 27, the Guardians of the Ribbon asks that public safety, local leaders and citizens of the community to wear something pink. For more information, visit www.pinkfiretrucks.org.